


Our Garden of Sunlight

by angel_authoress



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Deviates From Canon, F/M, Fluff, here we are, i thought of mc and ray having a picnic and it wouldn't leave me alone so, ray deserved better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-01-05 21:45:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 37,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12198006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_authoress/pseuds/angel_authoress
Summary: Before the contract ceremony is to take place, Ray decides to treat MC to a picnic in the garden.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello yes i'm trash for ray and i'm angry that we didn't get to save him because he didn't d e s e r v e t h a t-
> 
> anyway
> 
> this takes place during day 4 of v's route. have this fluff i wrote because this idea wouldn't leave me alone. enjoy!

“A picnic?”

Ray nodded, a fully-decorated picnic basket hanging off of his wrist. “You’re probably hungry, and I managed to find enough free time to prepare lunch.” You couldn’t help but notice the way his cheeks flushed. “I was hoping that we could eat together.”

You smiled. He was right; you hadn’t eaten since early this morning, and how long had it been since you had a picnic? You figured that if you were going to be here for at least a little while, you should try to enjoy yourself. “That sounds great.”

He beamed, a wide, almost childish grin spreading across his handsome face. “R-Really? Th-Then… how about we go eat in the garden? There are some picnic tables out there…”

You nodded eagerly and took his free hand. “Sure! That garden really is beautiful.”

He proceeded to lead you out of the room towards the garden. You knew the way by heart now; the garden was his favorite place to visit with you at night.

You noticed that his blush only darkened when you took his hand. “My Savior picked out all of the flowers there herself, but I did help her some.”

He had mentioned before that he liked to study flowers in his free time. Despite the strangeness of your current predicament, you couldn’t help but notice that whoever this ‘Savior’ was had good taste.

Although you thought the garden was the prettiest at night, since all of the lights were on and gave the flowers an ethereal glow, you couldn’t deny that it was stunning during the day as well. The warm light of the sun made each and every flower shine, accentuating their vibrant colors. You could never get tired of it, you were sure of that. 

After you seated yourself at one of the tables, Ray set the basket down on the center of the table. “I hope you like what I’ve prepared for you. I’m not the greatest cook, but my Savior says that I’m getting better. She says that I’m best at baking sweets, so I brought a few pastries for you to try.”

“Oh, Ray, you didn’t have to do that…”

He merely smiled. “Nothing’s too good for my princess.” After he set your meal down in front of you he proceeded to pull out teacups. “I hope you like jasmine tea.”

“Y-You made tea too?!” you asked with a gasp. Not only had he made an entire lunch for you, but he had also baked you sweets _and_ made tea. You were starting to feel like maybe Ray was spoiling you a bit too much.

“Mmhm. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I sort of guessed.”

He seated himself across from you and began to pour himself a cup of tea. “What are you waiting for? Try some, I’d like to hear what you think!”

He had prepared a wide variety of dishes, ranging from curry, to salads, to apple and cherry tarts. You decided to try the curry he had made first.

“Ray.”

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you pursue a career in cooking?”

Ray’s teal-colored eyes went wide. You feared that he was about to start crying. “Wow… I’m glad you like it MC. I wish I could make meals for you every day…”

“Maybe you can, someday,” you suggested shyly, poking at your salad with your fork.

Ray’s expression suddenly shifted into an intensely serious one. “If you agree to stay with us, MC, I can be with you all the time. I’m sure of it.”

You averted his gaze, looking back down at the ground. Ray had been mentioning that quite a bit lately, the idea of you staying with him permanently. You already had a bad enough feeling about the current situation. The fact that you had to stay at a classified location just to test a game was suspicious enough. But Ray had been so kind and gentle towards you that you tried not to think much of it. Ray seemed so sweet, and to even mention leaving was enough to make the poor guy look like a kicked puppy. Despite the situation, you didn't feel as though you were in any immediate danger, and Ray went to the extreme to take care of you and ensure that you were happy.

“I still… don’t know about that…” you mumbled. “I like you Ray, you’ve been nothing but good to me. But… I have a life out there. I can’t stay holed up in here for the rest of my life, you know?”

Ray dropped his fork almost dramatically as he met your eyes. His stare was captivating and you found that you couldn’t look away. “The outside world is a terrible place. It won’t accept people like you and me. But this place… this is all we need. Everything is right here for you, MC. I cannot force you to choose me, but I think it’s in your best interest to do so. The world… it can’t offer you any more than the Magenta can. In fact, Magenta can offer _so much more_.”

Just what in the world had this Savior been teaching him?

“You may be happy here, Ray, but I think the outside world offers a lot of good things too,” you told him.

“You say that because you are an outsider.”

“Weren’t you an outsider too?”

Ray’s eyes narrowed. You couldn’t help but notice the sadness in those eyes of his and you found yourself regretting asking.

“Yes, I was. My Savior was the one who found me. She rescued me from that… _that horrible woman._ I was able to escape her thanks to my Savior.”

“Oh… you must be grateful to her then.”

He nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. My Savior is the reason I’m alive today. So I’ll do whatever she asks of me, without question. I owe my life to her, after all.”

“Is that why you’re always working?” The question slipped out unbidden, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Mm… I guess so, yes. I have to keep watch to make sure that the game runs smoothly. But I have a few other things I have to do as well.”

Curiosity inevitably got the better of you, and you ended up asking him to elaborate. He winked and pressed a finger to his lips. “It’s a secret, I’m afraid. I’ll be able to tell you everything when the time is right.”

“Oh… you mean that “contract”, right?”

Ray had been mentioning something called a “contract” for the past day or so. He seemed rather excited about it, but you couldn’t help but be a little nervous, as you had no idea what this contract entailed and you weren’t interested in finding out. As much as you liked Ray, the fact that he wasn’t telling you about the details was making you nervous.

“You remembered.” He reached across the table and took your free hand. “MC, believe me when I say the contract is nothing bad. In fact… it’ll be good for you. I promise.”

“You say that, but you won’t even tell me what it is,” you said pointedly, a frown crossing your lips.

He released your hand like it had burned him. “I… I want to tell you, but… you’ll be finding out later tonight anyway.”

He looked pained, so you decided to drop it for now as you reached for the apple tart.

“Please do let me know what you think,” he urged. “I added whipped cream on them, I hope you don’t mind.”

You bit into the delicious treat and found that _no, you didn’t mind at all._ “Ray, it’s amazing! Really, you should’ve become a baker!”

He laughed sheepishly. “M-MC, you’re embarrassing me. I’m sure they’re not _that_ good…”

“Try it!” you said, but you ultimately ended up pulling off a piece from yours and offering it to him. “Here!”

In a move that you definitely didn’t see coming, he reached forward and grabbed the treat with his teeth. After he pulled it into his mouth, his tongue darted out to run across your fingers. “Mm, I guess I didn’t do a bad job after all.”

Blushing furiously, you retracted your hand, ducking your head. “R-Ray!”

“Hm?”

“Y-You… that was…”

He grinned cheekily in response and grabbed one of the cherry tarts he had prepared.

“After the contract is complete,” he began, “my Savior wants to have a celebration. There was talk of a dance of some sort. If you’d like… I want to accompany you as… as your date. If that’s alright.”

The thought of Ray leading you in a slow waltz across the dance floor made you a bit more excited than you’d care to admit. “Sure. I’d love to dance with you.”

“O-Oh… wow.”

“What?”

“Nothing, just... getting to dance with someone as pretty as you… I feel like it’d be a great honor.”

You had to admit, Ray sure did know how to turn on the charm. “Likewise. You’re quite the looker yourself.”

Ray’s cheeks took on that adorable pink shade again, but you didn’t listen to much of what he had said, and instead took a moment to study him. Sure, white hair and green eyes _was_ a bit odd, but you were starting to figure that neither were his natural hair and eye colors. Even so, he was oddly beautiful. Captivating eyes, pale skin, and a sharp jaw-line. Despite his usual soft expression and sweet smile, he was incredibly striking to you and you couldn’t quite place why.

Perhaps that was how he had been able to coerce you here in the first place, with that calming voice and charming smile.

“I’m sorry to cut this short MC, but a few of the other Believers are calling for me. I should probably go see what they need.”

You assisted him in cleaning up the mess, placing the cups and plates back into the basket.

“Thank you for lunch, Ray. It was delicious.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “It was nothing. I hope to enjoy more meals with you in the future.”

You turned around to head back inside, but froze when you felt his hand on your wrist. It was gentle, you noted. He wasn’t holding onto you like he was angry or wanted to hurt you.

“MC… I… I… really want to…”

“Want to what? You can tell me,” you urged, stepping closer to him.

He then shook his head, releasing your wrist. “Nothing! It’s no big deal, really!”

You eyed him warily, but dismissed it for now as you took the hand he offered you and strolled out of the garden with him.

“MC, I just want you to know that you’ve brought something new to my life. So for that…. thank you.”

You weren’t sure about any of this. You weren’t sure about Mint Eye, about the Savior, about this contract that was supposedly taking place tonight. Hell, you weren’t even sure about Ray. But the one thing you were sure of was that he was here with you now, smiling at you, and you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, not unless he was by your side, wearing that same smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got quite a few requests to continue this so... here we are. i wasn't really sure where to go from there so i just sorta... wrote a thing. i'm not sure how long this is going to be btw.
> 
> pls keep in mind while reading this that this is not meant to romanticize saeran's obsessive behavior, and i promise that it will be addressed in the story. 
> 
> enjoy chapter 2!

Despite Ray’s insistence that these people were really AI’s, you found yourself doubting that at times. Their words and reactions all seemed far too real to be artificial. Their voices were real, their feelings, their actions… it was _so_ realistic, to the point where it scared you, really.

There was one “AI” in particular that stood out to you. He seemed to be a bit more… aware than the others. Aware of your situation, of your surroundings…

Not to mention the fact that Ray seemed to get incredibly agitated when V and Seven were mentioned. He seemed to have a vendetta against all of them, but for some reason in particular, he had it out for the two of them. It was like these “AI’s” had wronged him personally, which only further proved your theory. And if your theory proved to be true, then that would mean that Ray was lying to you. And that probably wasn’t the only thing he was lying about.

You shook your head; you didn’t want to think that about Ray. You hadn’t known him for that long, but he had been so kind to you that you felt that it would be rude of you to think that way about him.

Still, the clock was ticking down the time of the ceremony and you were growing more nervous by the minute.  You had no idea what to expect, and Ray had been antsy all day. He had expressed his excitement for you multiple times during the day, saying that he couldn’t wait until you officially became one of them. Despite his kind words and way of speaking, this was starting to sound more and more like a…

_No. It can’t be. This place is too… it can’t be like that._

You had to ask. It was close enough to the time of the ceremony; he had to start giving you some answers.

He had opened a chatroom not too long ago looking for you. You logged in and joined as well, hoping that he was still there waiting for you. Unsurprisingly, he was, and he seemed more than thrilled to see you.

_Ray: MC, you came!_

_Ray: I was going to call you. I really want to hear your voice…_

_Ray: But I’ve been waiting until I see you in person tonight for the ceremony. Do you like the dress I picked out for you? You’re going to look so pretty in it… just imagining you…_

Heat rushed to your cheeks, but you ignored it. You weren’t going to let him charm you, not right now.

_MC: Ray… can I ask you something?_

_Ray: Yes, anything! What is it?_

_MC: What is this place, really? What is the Mint Eye?_

_Ray: Mint Eye is… a place of happiness._

_Ray: It’s a place where people like me come to find solace._

_Ray: Here, there’s only eternal paradise, created by none other than my Savior._

_MC: Savior… you keep mentioning a savior. Ray… I’m starting to think… that…_

Your fingers were shaking. You couldn’t get it out. Why? Why couldn’t you voice your concerns?

_Ray: Oh, I’m sorry MC, but something’s come up. I hope you’re getting ready, the ceremony is in an hour! I’ll be there to escort you when the time comes!_

_Ray: I can’t wait! Once you complete the contract… you can stay with me forever…_

You didn’t like where this was going, not one bit.

_MC: Ray, please wait, I’m worried._

_Ray: Oh… I didn’t mean to cause you distress. Perhaps I’ve made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry._

_Ray: But it’ll be okay MC, I promise._

_Ray: I want you to adjust to me and to the Magenta at your own speed. We’ll take things slow, I promise._

_Ray: I have to go now. I’ll see you soon!_

_[Ray has left the chatroom]_

You cursed yourself under your breath as you tossed your phone onto your pillow. The more optimistic side of you was suggesting that perhaps the contract really wasn’t as bad as you thought it was going to be, but there was too much you didn’t know for you to assume that. You hated to do it, but you’d have to assume the worst for now. It was the only way you could play it safe.

Then again, agreeing to come to a shady place out in the middle of nowhere wasn’t really “playing it safe” either, was it?

Even so, you knew from the very beginning that something was fishy, and had no intentions of staying for longer than you had to. But as the days passed on, Ray seemed more and more reluctant to let you go, almost to the point where you feared what leaving would do to him. It wasn’t healthy to think like that, but it was true.

Leaving would destroy him.

But what if he came with you?

That was of course assuming that you got out of this alive, but if you did, what if he could come with you? That would be great of course, but now the question that remained was… how? How could you get out of a place so heavily guarded? Would Ray even agree to come with you?

As if on cue, you heard your phone ringing.

“Hello?”

_“MC, thank God, you picked up. Listen to me very carefully… I don’t know what sort of lies that the Savior and that boy have been telling you, but… you’re in danger.”_

You froze. “What? V, you… you know about the Savior?”

_“Yes, I know about your situation. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner… and to think I even doubted you…”_

“W-Wait a minute… you mean you’re _real?”_

_“Of course I’m real, what… oh no. They really have been feeding you lies… MC, I promise you, I’m real, I know about everything, and I’m going to get you out of there.”_

You exhaled heavily. “Hold on a minute, V, slow down. What do you mean I’m in danger? Do you know about the contract?”

_“The contract? Yes, the elixir… MC, it’s a drug. Don’t drink it. Whatever you do, please, don’t drink it.”_

A gasp of horror slipped past your lips as you covered your mouth with your free hand. A drug. Ray was going to _drug you._ This place…

“…really is a cult…” you murmured. You hadn’t meant to say it out-loud, but it didn’t make the words any less true.

_“I’m sorry MC, I’m so so sorry. This is all my fault… I have to get you out of there. Just… hold on until I can find you. And no matter what… don’t drink it. Do everything you can to hold them off.”_

You don’t know where the words come from. “Ray would never do that!” you tell him. “It’s true that he talked about me staying here, but… he would never force me to do anything…”

_“MC… there are things about him that you don’t know. I see you’ve already placed your trust in Ray… but you shouldn’t. He has another side to him, a side that neither him nor you wants to see.”_

“’Neither him nor you?’ What does that mean? V, please, tell me what’s going on..!”

_“I wish I could explain everything right now MC, but I… it isn’t the time. I’ll explain eventually, but for now, just hold out a little bit longer. I’m coming.”_

“V-“

_Click_

* * *

You eyed your appearance in the mirror. Ray was right; the dress that he had picked out really was beautiful. You had even taken the effort to do your hair and makeup. You weren’t sure why, this wasn’t exactly something you were looking forward to. There was always the possibility that V was lying like Ray had suggested, but… the desperation in his voice didn’t sound like something that could be faked, at least not easily. As much as you didn’t want to accept it, the pieces were slowly falling into place.

But if you chose to believe him… then wouldn’t that mean leaving Ray? You recalled the “other side” that V had mentioned, but even so, if Ray had another side, you wanted to know about it. You wanted to see _all_ sides of him, even if they weren’t as nice. You wanted to help him, to allow him the chance to truly live. The life he had now… it wasn’t living. Being locked up in a mansion every day, under the influence of powerful drugs, working for this so-called Savior… what kind of life was that?

A knock at your door brought you out of your thoughts. You looked over your hair and makeup and smoothed out your dress once more before walking over to the door.

Right on time, as per usual. Ray was never late unless he had something to do.

He smiled warmly, but when his eyes drank in your appearance, his smile fell into a look of surprise. His lips parted slightly, a pink blush settling over his cheeks. “Wow… M-MC, um, hello. Y-You look, um… you look cute. N-No, that’s not right, it’s, uh…”

You laughed gently. He could be adorable sometimes. “It’s alright, I know what you’re trying to say.” Your eyes raked over his appearance. “You look especially handsome tonight.”

That same sweet smile crossed his lips, the one you could never get tired of. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. Every time you compliment me, it’s like… I can’t even describe it. It feels amazing.”

There he went again, that unabashed sweet talk that never failed to melt your heart. You had a feeling he knew it too.

Even so, you couldn’t let yourself get swayed too much. You were starting to fear that… if you looked into those big sad eyes of his for too long… if you heard his pleading voice in your ears begging you to stay… if you felt those hands tightly gripping yours… you might want to drink that elixir.

_No,_ you sternly remind yourself, _he’s not in love with me. He’s not._

That gives you the courage to push forward. “Ray, listen to me. I’m going to ask you one question, and one question only. And you can’t lie to me. If you want me to complete the contract, then you’ll tell me the truth.”

He seemed taken aback by your sudden boldness, but nodded nonetheless.

You drew in a deep breath to calm your racing heart. “Have you been lying to me?”

You saw the way his eyes darted from yours to look down at the ground. “I… I…”

“Answer me, Ray.”

“I-I have!” he confessed, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “There are things I’ve been lying to you about… but I swear, all of it was to protect you.”

“Ray-“

“I’ll tell you everything after the ceremony, I promise! I know you may feel like you’re losing trust in me, but please don’t think that way! I’ll make things right again!”

You closed your eyes, heaving another sigh. “Okay, I lied. One more question. If I say no… will you force me?”

He seemed to actually be considering it for a moment, but this time, his gaze remained locked with yours. You felt like he was staring at your soul and found yourself feeling oddly exposed in front of him.

“No,” he finally said. “I won’t. If… if that is what you choose. But I’m scared that… that if you say no… my other side will come out… and he’s not as nice as I am.”

So he knew about it too. Of course he did, he had to.

You didn’t necessarily want to provoke that “side” of him, especially since you knew nothing about him. Right now… your only option was to trust in V.

“I really, really want you to stay… I really do… the fact that you want to leave is-“

“Don’t say that, Ray,” you said, your voice cracking. “Please don’t do that to me, I…”

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I… I…” His eyes were wide, tears threatening to spill from the corners. He was nearly hyperventilating, like he was about to have a panic attack.

“Ray!” You grabbed both his hands, interlocking your fingers together. “Ray, it’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here. I’m here right now. Right now, in this moment, I’m here with you. Okay?”

Still breathing unevenly, he met your eyes and nodded shakily, a single tear falling from his right eye. “Okay, now breathe. Follow me and breathe. In... and out. In… and out. Like that.”

Ray followed your instructions, breathing with you until his own breaths began to steady and even out. When he could finally breathe on his own, he sighed and released your hands.

“I-I’m sorry you had to see me… l-like that. You must think it’s pathetic…”

“Not at all,” you tell him. “Really, it’s okay.”

“I just… the thought of you leaving scares me so badly… all the people I’ve ever cared about have left me alone… if you left me too… I don’t think I could take it…”

Your heart broke for him.

“Ray…”

“Ah… sorry, I’m holding you up. We should go now; the others are waiting for us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a deleted line that i almost added in because it made me laugh: 
> 
> "Besides, Ray didn't need a girlfriend right now. He needed a therapist and lots of hugs, preferably from you."


	3. Chapter 3

You shakily took his hand as he guided you through the hallways. You could feel him squeeze your hand to offer you reassurance. “It’ll be okay,” he said. “The elixir will make you feel a little funny at first, but you’ll get used to it.”

You shuddered a bit, but thankfully, he didn’t notice. “Ray, how often do you take this elixir?”

“Mm… I’m supposed to have a small dose daily, but… truthfully… I haven’t been taking it as often as the Savior said I should.”

“Uh-huh… what about the side effects?”

Ray grimaced at that, hesitating to answer, before giving you a sweet smile. “There are occasional side effects, such as headaches and stomachaches. Sometimes… they really do hurt. But they’re a small price to pay for what the elixir provides.” He perked up immediately when the two of you reached the door to his room. “Ah! We’re here!”

Ray’s “room” turned out to just be a room full of computers and monitors. There didn’t appear to be a bed or anything; when did he ever sleep? “Welcome to my room!”

The other believers were gathered in the corners of the room, blocking the exits. They were all wearing cloaks with hoods covering their faces. You swallowed anxiously.

_Yup. Definitely a cult. I’ve been brought into a cult. Great._

Ray retrieved a bottle from his desk. You eyed it suspiciously and, coincidentally, the liquid was a mint color. “MC, you’ve been the one from the moment I met you. This elixir just ensures that we can be together forever. It’s going to taste a little weird at first, I’m sorry… I did everything I could to make it sweet.”

You could hear your heart pounding in your ears and you found yourself starting to wonder where V was. You had decided to place your trust in him, and you were really hoping that that wasn’t a mistake on your part. You noticed lately that perhaps you were a bit _too trusting._

He reached down for your hand and took it into his own, placing a gentle kiss against your knuckles. “I want you to stay with me. The only family I’ve ever had abandoned me long ago, and my Savior is the only one I’ve had since then. As much as I love and appreciate her… it’s been so lonely here. This must be strange coming from someone you haven’t known for very long, but during your stay, I got very attached to you. Because you saw worth in me. You _chose me._ Even if it was just to test a game… you believed in me. And now… with this… I can make you happy.”

You felt him gently push the bottle into your palm. “Go on, MC. Take this elixir, and salvation will be right in front of you. I can make you sweets every day, have picnics with you in the garden, and hold your hand when you’re scared. I know you feel it too. The way you looked at me… it wasn’t just in my head, was it?”

It wasn’t a rhetorical question. He was asking, searching your eyes for an answer. You averted his gaze, biting your lip anxiously. “It… it wasn’t,” you admitted, because it was the truth. He was right. You were almost instantly attracted to him, despite knowing that the whole situation was strange. You had an instant connection to him and turns out, he could sense it too. “I like you Ray. You’ve done everything you can to make me comfortable and safe and… you’re one of the only people that’s ever looked at me with such genuine adoration. Really. But I… I can’t stay with you. Not here.”

His expression fell, and you had to quickly grab the bottle from his hand so it didn’t slip out and crash to the floor. “You… don’t want to stay with me? You don’t… want me?”

His voice sounded so small and broken, so much so that you immediately went to amend your statement. “That’s not what I meant,” you corrected. “Ray, this place… it’s not good for you. I know you know what I mean. If you stay here… you’ll end up getting hurt, or worse-“

He suddenly stumbled backwards, burying his face into the palm of his hand, groaning in pain.

“Ray!” you cried, “what’s wrong?!”

“It’s… he’s coming… MC, run! Get out of here now! If you don’t go… he’s going to… hurt you…”

“Who? Who’s coming? Ray, you’d never hurt me…”

It dawned on you then. This was the ‘other side’ that both Ray and V had mentioned. And although you hadn’t wanted to provoke it, if there was another side to Ray, then you felt like you should see it. He was someone you cared for, regardless of if he had a dark side or not.

“You’re right, Ray would never hurt you.”

You felt a cold hand grasp your wrist, pulling you close. You were suddenly chest to chest with a man that looked exactly and yet nothing like Ray. There was no warmth in those eyes of his that were usually full of joyous affection. “But me? Well, that’s debatable.”

You struggled to escape his grasp, but he held you still, one arm wrapped around your waist. “I don’t _want_ to hurt you princess, but it sounds like I might have to… you’re being naughty.”

“Who are you?” you asked. “Are you that other side that Ray was talking about?”

“More or less.” He reached out to stroke your cheek with his free hand. “Ray was right, you’re so cute. Do you want to know what he’s thought about you? You might think he’s innocent, but he’s far from that, considering what he’s thought about doing to you.” His hips grinded against yours and you blushed furiously, trying to put as much distance between the two of you as you could. “Want me to tell you? You’d like that, wouldn’t you? But I hope you know… that when I do eventually fulfill your desires, princess… it won’t be Ray taking the wheel. He’s weak, he couldn’t bring you pleasure like I could. I’d have you screaming for me in a matter of _minutes.”_

You ignored his words, despite the shameful effect they had on you, and with all the strength you could muster, you pushed him away. He staggered backwards, but before he could move to grab you again, you held out the bottle of the elixir between your fingers.

“Don’t come any closer. If you do, the bottle gets smashed to pieces. I want to talk to Ray, so listen closely, okay?”

He chuckled darkly. “Don’t you get it? Ray’s not home right now.”

“Ray is Ray, even if he does have another side. Listen to me… I know you’re in there. It doesn’t have to be like this. I can help you… you just have to let me in. I care about you Ray, and nothing that you say is gonna scare me off. I want to leave, yes, but… I don’t want to leave without you. You said that someone you cared about abandoned you when you were young. It may sound like an empty promise to you, but I swear… I would never want to abandon you. And I won’t have to, if you just _come with me.”_

He’s still grinning, but some of that warmth that you knew so well was seeping back into his eyes and he groaned, clutching at his head again. “Ugh… _you stay out of this!_ I made up my mind a long time ago and I’m never going back! The world is nothing but a cruel place… all my life I’ve only experienced suffering, but here? There’s only happiness.”

“Ray-“

“Stop calling me that! Ray… Ray is the childish name that the Savior gave to that marshmallow boy for when _I_ _behave_. He doesn’t even deserve a name or an identity of his own. It’s a reminder that even here, I’m still **_controlled…_** ”

You smiled hopefully, were you getting through to him? “Exactly! And I won’t lie to you, sometimes, the real world _sucks_ , but there are so, _so_ many good things that it has to offer. I can show them to you. But here? You’re gonna be a tool for the rest of your life. Is that what you want?”

He released another groan, and you couldn’t help but notice the pain he had to be in to make those sounds. You wanted nothing more than to embrace him, to help him through the pain, but you knew you couldn’t. He was unstable and you feared doing anything more to set him off.

After a few moments of what sounded like him fighting with himself, he finally looked up at you, eyes shining with unshed tears. “If… If I’m able to be useful… then that’s all I need, right? That’s the only reason I have to live…”

You felt your eyes begin to burn with the sting of tears as well. “Ray… that’s not-“

“MC!”

You turned around to face the owner of the familiar voice, and in doing so, the bottle had slipped from your hand and hit the ground, smashing to pieces as the liquid spilled all over the floor.

_Shit._

“V…” you murmured. “You came…”

“There’s no time MC, we have to _go-“_

“No!” You felt Ray grab your wrist, pulling you back towards him. “She’s mine! Mine! Why? Why must you always take things from me? Every time I come even close to happiness, things like _this_ ruin it! She’s the only good thing I’ve had since I was brought to Mint Eye… why? Why can’t I be allowed this one thing..?”

“Because she’s here against her will, Saeran. You cannot truly expect to be happy with someone who isn’t with you because they really want to be. Go on. Tell her the truth, why she’s _really here.”_

“Saeran?” you asked. “Is that… is that your real name? Your other side said something about that name being fake… so is Saeran your actual name?”

“…Yes.” He said shakily, his voice hoarse. “It’s a name… from a life I once lived.” His gaze then shifted to V. “But _you…_ you will not lecture me on right and wrong… not after what you did to me, to my Savior! You’ve hurt her most… poisoned her with your lies. My Savior is in pain because of you!”

“Enough!” you shouted. “Saeran… tell me now, why did you bring me here? If V is real, then that means that the RFA is too… so tell me. Why would you lie to me if you love me so much?”

He looked hurt by the question and you almost wished you could take it back. But it was a question that needed to be asked, a question that demanded an answer.

“I… It was what the Savior told me to say… so you’d come here… I lied about the AI’s, MC, but it was only so you’d find your way to me. Everything else, my feelings for you, that’s still true! I could never lie about something like that… regardless of what my other side says… I’d never do anything to hurt you, and I’ll do anything to protect you from this world, and if I have to… from myself.”

Before you could respond, you felt V’s hand on your shoulder. “MC… I’m going to get you out, I promise, but… there are too many of them here. We’d never make it out. So please… wait for me.”

All you could do was nod.

“It seems like you know how to handle Saeran. But please… refrain from calling him that. It brings back terrible memories from his childhood. Don’t let his other side manipulate you, and don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself if he gets out of line. I know you care for him, but he… there’s still so much you don’t know-“

“It’s okay,” you interrupted. “Thank you for worrying for me. I’ll be okay. You… stay safe, okay V? I won’t leave here without you.”

He smiled gently. “Worrying for others when you’re the one in the most danger… even so, thank you. I promised that I wouldn’t let anyone else become her victim… so know this. I will save you. Even if it’s the last thing I do.”

V gave you a small smile before turning and heading for the exit, the other believers quickly following after him.

You turned towards Ray. “I’m sorry, Ray… but I… I think for right now I need to be alone.”

He had been crying this whole time. He could only nod once as he watched you walk back to your room.

_What have I done?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg, thank you??? you guys are so sweet?? I wasn't expecting to get such positive feedback ;; thank you guys so much! 
> 
> also, as of late, i've been playing with the idea of who the MC should end up with, Ray or V. let me know what you guys think in the comments!
> 
> chapter 4, enjoy!

Ray used to visit you at least four times a day. He’d be in your room bright and early at 8 A.M, usually with a hot breakfast for you. At around 1:30 he’d come to bring you lunch, and if he had time, the two of you would take a walk through the garden. Then at 6 o’clock he’d bring dinner and the two of you would take another walk through the garden to experience it at night. One night, Ray had even shown you the pool and promised that he’d take you swimming when it gets warm.

And then, right before you went to bed, he’d visit you again to bid you goodnight. Those were your favorite visits. He’d make such idle conversation with you, telling you about his day, asking you how yours was, occasionally complaining about his workload. He’d catch himself sometimes, and would try to fix his error.

_“Um, that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate working for the Savior, it’s just that, I, um…”_

_“Ray, it’s okay. You can complain to me if you need to.”_

_“I… I can?”_

_You nodded your affirmation. “Yup. If something is bothering you… you can tell me.”_

_“Oh… I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you with something like that, but I appreciate your gesture.” He smiled and gently patted your head. “You’re so kind.”_

But it was about two o’clock in the afternoon, and Ray hadn’t visited you once. He hadn’t called, texted, or opened a chatroom to talk to you. You were starting to become worried.

He probably thought you were furious with him, or that you hated him, which couldn’t be further from the truth. But it’s true that you were a bit… conflicted about where you stood with him. Learning that he had been lying to you this whole time didn’t sit well with you, even if it was an order from his Savior, who you were starting to seriously grow wary of. But as time passed, you slowly started to come to grips with the situation you had found yourself in. You had stupidly accepted an invitation to test a game in an unfamiliar environment, and as it turned out, the “game” was all just a bait to lure you into a cult.

_Talk about a crazy week._

Despite all of this, however, you can’t bring yourself to hate Ray- or rather, _Saeran._ After hearing what he had said in his room, about being controlled, about making himself useful… you were starting to think that he was a victim as well, and that perhaps there was a part of him that still wanted to escape. And what about all the other “believers”? Surely they were all also under the influence of the elixir as well.

Regardless, Ray didn’t belong here. The Savior was no good for him, especially not if all she wanted was to control him.

You, V, and Ray. The three of you together, escaping. If you could achieve just that, then that would be enough for you. But Ray seemed to have something against V, so convincing him to go anywhere with him was going to be difficult. You wished you could find out more about that, about his past, but the most important thing right now was figuring out how to save him.

You’re interrupted from your thoughts by the sound of your phone vibrating against your bed. When you check the caller ID, you’re surprised to see that it’s Ray. Without thinking or hesitation of any kind, you answered.

“Ray! I was worried, are you okay?!”

_“MC… yes, I’m fine. You… were worried?”_

“Of course! I hadn’t heard from you in a little while…”

_“Oh… even now, even after losing your faith in me, you’re still so good to me. I wanted to explain myself to you… but there is no excuse. All I can do is apologize. I can only hope… that you don’t hate me completely… even though I’m sure I deserve it.”_

“Ray… of course I don’t hate you. I could never hate you.”

_“You should. I lied to you, and then my other side came out and nearly hurt you… I’ve been keeping my distance to protect you from him… because I’m weak… because I’m not strong enough to keep him from coming out…”_

“It’s not your fault, Ray. It’s…”

_“It’s alright, you don’t have to make excuses for me. You told me that you want to leave… and sometimes I can’t help but feel as though it’s because I wasn’t enough for you. But I know that’s not true, because you’re so, so much better than that. You’re kind, and you always look at me with a smile.”_

Even when you had lost some of your faith in him, he still had the utmost faith in you, and that thought made your heart ache.

_“Even so… I need to know the truth… is it true that you do not wish to become a part of our paradise?”_

You bit your lip, hesitating to answer him. You feared his reaction. Even so, you couldn't lie to him. He had already been lied to enough. “…Yes. I’m sorry, Ray, but I just… I can’t. Mint Eye… isn’t a paradise. Forcing drugs into people… isn’t paradise or salvation. It’s cruel.”

_“Cruel? Are you saying that my Savior is being cruel to people? She’s only trying to help as many people as she can… how is that cruel? MC, it hurts me to hear you say such things, but it’s only because you don’t understand. You haven’t had the elixir of salvation yet.”_

“Ray…”

_“Yes… that’s right… there’s no way you want to leave… it’s that bastard V… and Luciel, too. They’ve been feeding you lies! I knew it… I knew they’d get to you somehow… I wasn’t able to protect you from them, and now they’ve poisoned your mind with lies…”_

“Ray! It wasn’t them! They have nothing to do with my decision. The Savior has tricked you into thinking that what she’s doing is right, that forcing salvation onto people like this is okay… but it’s not. You’re one of her victims!”

_“A victim..?”_

“Yes! Think about it! Why else are you supposed to take that elixir? I’m sure you know what’s in it, right?”

_“The Savior said that the elixir doesn’t contain anything dangerous…”_

“She _lied. Ray,_ please, you have to trust me on this!”

_“I… I… I have to go. I’ll call you later.”_

_Click._

You sighed irritably. How could you possibly convince him that he was being used?

* * *

_“Used? I don’t understand… how am I being used?”_

**_“Just now figuring it out, marshmallow boy?”_ **

_“Leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to you.”_

The voice ignored his request. **_“You act like this is such a surprise… though something tells me that deep down, you’ve known for a while. You just didn’t want to accept it.”_**

_“…And what about you? You’re okay with it?”_

**_“Being her dog? Sure. The Savior says that I’m the best she has, and that’s enough for me. If being used means that I get to have my revenge on Luciel, then so be it.”_ **

_“But what then? What about afterwards?”_

**_“Afterwards? I personally will take the rest of the RFA to paradise. I’ll take that bastard V too… I’ll bring him to Rika so she can decide his fate…”_ **

_“But what’s the point? Even if we manage to kill Luciel and bring MC and the RFA to paradise… I still feel…”_

**_“There is no “we” in this. You are nothing but a weaker version of me, a soft spot that I intend to kill one day.”_ **

_“That’s…”_

**_“And besides, where is this sudden sympathy coming from? Don’t tell me you want to crawl back to Luciel, to that world?”_ **

_“No! Saeyoung… he must pay for what he did to me… for what he did to MC…”_

**_“Exactly. And what better way to make him suffer than to drag all of his friends here? The things I could do to them…”_ **

_“Just promise me one thing.”_

**_“I don’t make promises.”_ **

_“Please, just… don’t hurt MC. Despite everything, I love her so much, I really do. And I know you have a soft spot for her too.”_

**_“Idiot, any “soft spot” I have comes from you. Believe me, I don’t plan on hurting her… too much, anyway… she’s my princess after all.”_ **

_“Please…”_

**_“Fine. But just know that after I get rid of you, I’m going to have all the fun I want with her. I’ll make her forget that “Ray” ever existed.”_ **

_“That’s fine. I just want her to be safe and happy… that’s all I want…”_

**_“Wow, how noble of you. I’ll do what you’ll never be able to do. I’ll make her so happy that she won’t know what to do with herself. Now then… before you can even think of seeing her again, there’s something you should do first.”_ **

_“Yes… that bastard V… needs to be taught a lesson. For filling my princess’ head with such disgusting lies… MC is far too kind to him…”_

**_“Good. Find him, and teach him not to touch what belongs to me. To us.”_ **

* * *

“My Savior, I’ve come to ask you something.”

Rika didn’t turn around, knowing who it was already by the sound of his voice. She was seated on her bed, far too engrossed in her novel to pay him much mind. “Ray. You’ve come back," she said, a dull tone to her voice. "I missed you, why haven’t you come to visit me?”

Taken aback by the statement, Ray stumbled upon his words as he tried to come up with an excuse. “F-Forgive me, I… I was just very busy…”

“Naturally. The girl you found is quite the handful, but I assume things are still running smoothly?”

“…Yes, for now. But that bastard V… it’s his fault that MC wasn’t able to drink the elixir.”

Rika clicked her tongue in annoyance. “I’m not surprised. But you mustn’t let yourself get too angry, Ray. Not right now, anyway. We all know what happens when that other side of you comes out to play.”

“…I know,” he murmured shamefully. “I will do my best to keep myself under control.”

“Good. If you get too angry, even the elixir cannot save you. You must express your anger and emotions properly. When you were younger, you’d get so upset to the point where I had to console you myself… poor thing, I remember seeing how sad you got.”

“But I’m not sad anymore, my Savior. I’m here, with you.”

“Yes, you are. And you’ve been very good. And I promise you that you will get your revenge in due time. Very soon, thanks to MC, we will bring the RFA to paradise.” She set the novel she had been reading onto her nightstand, finally turning around to face Ray. “Speaking of her, how is she doing? Is she happy in her room?”

“She’s… okay. She has lost some of her trust in us after hearing the truth of the messenger app.”

“Ah, I see. That’s to be expected." She paused, her expression shifting as a thought came to her. "Then… how about you send her to me?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Rika absentmindedly twirled a loose strand of curly hair around her finger. “Bring her here to see me. I’m sure she’s tired of being locked away all the time. Besides… I can put her fears to rest and convince her that this is not a bad place. You know about my power to do that, don’t you?”

“…Okay. I’ll bring her here to meet you.”                                                       

“Good. Don’t keep me waiting too long. I’ve seen pictures, but from what you tell me, she’s a beautiful girl.”

She watched him smile fondly, the wistful look on his face suggesting that he was recalling a memory. “Yes… yes, she is. Gorgeous.”

“Now then, what was it you wanted to ask?”

“O-Oh, right. As I’m sure you already know, V is here. He’s hiding out disguised as a believer. I wanted to request your permission to find him and teach him a thing or two about the Magenta.”

A devilish smirk curled her lips. “Be careful Ray, remember what I said about managing your temper. Hm… the idea sounds tempting. He deserves to be punished for what he’s done, but now that he’s trying to take MC away from us… very well. Be careful of how much of the elixir you give him. I want him to still be able to speak and stand. I want to hear him admit to me that he was wrong, that he has always been wrong.”

“Of course. I’ll keep you updated, my Savior.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> early update but i really like writing this fic lol, and we're not even halfway done yet. at least i don't think.
> 
> we're going to see this story start to stray away from canon very soon, so be prepared for that!
> 
> enjoy chapter 5!

It was early the next morning when Ray knocked on your door. He was much earlier than normal, you noted. You tried to make yourself presentable as you clambered out of bed, running your fingers through your hair and smoothing out your pajamas.

“Good morning, MC,” Ray greeted you, bowing formally, a soft smile on his lips. “I made breakfast for you.”

You mirrored his smile, taking the tray from him and setting it on the table. “Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing-“

“I mean it. Thank you.”

He met your eyes, a bright pink blush staining his cheeks. “Y-You’re welcome.” He turned to leave, but you were quick to grab his hand.

“Ray, please, stay with me. Eat.”

He stiffened under your touch. “I-I have to go back to work…”

“You look sick,” you said. It wasn’t a lie. He seemed even paler than usual, the dark circles under his eyes more prominent than ever before. “Eating might make you feel better.”

He pulled his hand away from yours. “I don’t deserve to eat with you. Besides… you have already expressed that you don’t wish to be here. You say that it’s not because of V, but I’m sure that it’s because he got to you. I’m upset… that his influence was able to reach you… and I couldn’t protect you.”

You were careful with your words. You were starting to see that as the days passed, he was becoming more and more unstable, and you couldn’t help but feel like it was because of you. “You don’t have to protect me, Ray. I’m not your responsibility.”

He shook his head. “I _want_ to protect you. I want to protect you because I care about you. You’ve changed me, even the Savior says so… she says that I’ve become different since you’ve been here…”

“I don’t think it’s a good different,” you replied. “Ray, I think… I think being around me hurts you…”

“How can you say that? MC, I… you being here has given me purpose. When I’m with you here, I feel… light. I think of you, and my dark thoughts go away. I used to have such terrible nightmares, but now most of my dreams have been filled with you. In just a few days, you’ve made me so happy. _So_ happy.”

You couldn’t look him in the eye, knowing that you’d give in if you did. “I know. But I feel… I feel like… I’m only making you anxious… and it worries me to think of what you’ll do if I’m not around… and I can’t…”

“You can’t..?”

You felt his questioning eyes on you, searching for an answer. “I don’t want you to cause yourself agony over me… I don’t want to see you in pain…”

You looked up to see his reaction, but found yourself being pulled into his embrace, his arms wrapping tightly around you, holding you close to him.

“MC. MC. I don’t ever want to let you go. Never.”

“Ray…”

“I love you. I love you. Stay with me… please… you won’t have to take the elixir, it doesn’t matter anymore… stay here, I’ll protect you, from V, from the RFA, from the whole world… even me, if I have to. I’ll do whatever it takes… please don’t leave me… I don’t want to be alone again…”

You felt warm tears streaming down your cheeks as you buried your face in his shoulder, wrapping your arms around him in return, holding him close. You didn’t know what this feeling you had for him was, you didn’t know if you could return his feelings, but there was one thing you knew for sure, and it was that in that moment, you didn’t want to let him go either. And what tore you apart the most was that you couldn’t promise him that you’d never leave, not truly.

You held him still for the next few minutes. He would sniffle occasionally, his hands moving up and down your back. “…You smell nice,” he murmured, his voice muffled by your neck. He finally found it within himself to pull away from you, keeping his hands on your arms, rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs. He then leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“Can I tell you a secret?” he asked. You nodded.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you since I first met you. I’ve never had that feeling before.”

“Me too,” you admitted shyly. It was true; you had been enraptured by his charm and you had entertained the thought once… or twice… or three times…

“I’d like to kiss your lips,” he said, his cheeks flushing. “But I don’t deserve that. Truthfully… I don’t even deserve to be this close to you… knowing that you are here and safe is what’s been keeping me going… but not seeing you is driving me crazy.”

“How about this then? Let’s go have lunch in the garden again today,” you suggested.

“Is that… really okay?” he asked, and you couldn’t help but notice how vulnerable he looked, asking you for permission like that.

You nodded. “Yes. I want to.”

He seemed pleased enough with the idea. “Okay. Yes. Let’s have lunch together, just the two of us.”

* * *

“What did she tell you, Saeran?”

“Don’t call me that!” Ray snapped, forcing V back against the chair. His wrists and ankles were bound with ropes, preventing him from moving, let alone escaping. “The Savior says that you need to learn your place. First… you hurt my Savior, poison her with lies, make her cry. Then… then… you try to take the love of my life away from me… try to lie to her the same way you lied to my Savior…”

“You’re not in love with her,” V replied sharply. “It’s not love, it’s obsession. I know, believe me. It’s why my relationship with Rika ended the way it did. I don’t want that for you. Contrary to how you may feel about me, I still consider you to be like a son to me.”

“You don’t get to tell me how I feel… not after what you did..!” He turned around, reaching for the elixir bottle he had prepared. “A new batch was prepared… I was going to use this for MC, but… this will work for you for now.”

“MC will never be happy here. She cares about you so much, she wants to help you, can’t you see? Most people would’ve given up on you by now, but not her. She’s strong. And I want to help you too… so please…”

“You’re wrong! MC cares for me… I know she does…”

“She does. But if you love her… you have to let her go for now. I mean it. She won’t be happy here. The place that Rika has created… it’s not a paradise… and it’s my fault you and MC ended up here in the first place. If I had bothered to stop Rika, then maybe… maybe you wouldn’t be like this now. But I was so blinded by obsession that I… I didn’t even think about you… Saeran…”

Ray felt that same ache begin to burn in the back of his head again. “I told you not to call me that! That name… that name is from my old life. I told you. I am Ray. Saeran was the frightened, weak child who always ran away. I won’t let myself be deceived by you, V. Never again.” He eyed the bottle of elixir, pulling the top off. “MC… I want to make her choose me… I want her to see that I can make her happy… you just have to be out of the picture. You, and Luciel too. I’ll send you both to Hell where you belong.”

“Do whatever you want to me then, Ray. Just please… don’t hurt MC, Luciel, the RFA… whatever you want with them, take it all out on me. This is all my fault, I have to take responsibility for this. And if it means… if it means this… then so be it.”

Ray snorted. He could feel his other side pushing, begging to be let out, but he remembered what the Savior told him and managed to keep himself calm. He placed a hand on V’s forehead and pushed him back, holding him still. “Look at you, trying to act all noble.” He pressed the tip of the bottle to his lips. “My Savior said to give this to you in small doses… so this is all you’re getting for now.” He tipped it forward and V nearly gagged, but Ray held him still, forcing him to drink from it.

He pulled it out, noting how about a quarter of the elixir was now gone. “Whoops, that was a bit too much. I guess seeing you so weak made me lose myself for a moment… I have to go, before I end up forcing this whole thing down your throat…”

V slumped forward, groaning as his head began to swim. _“MC… please… don’t hurt her. She’s been the only good thing since… since you, Saeran.”_

* * *

You were in the middle of preparing for your lunch date with Ray when you heard your phone vibrating against the bathroom counter.

“Hello?”

_“Hiya, newbie! Defender of Justice speaking!”_

You giggled softly; you had always admired Seven’s sense of humor, despite how strange it was at times. “Oh, and for what reason is God Seven blessing me with the sound of his voice?”

You heard him choke on his words a bit before clearing his throat. Clearly he hadn’t been expecting _that_ response. _“W-Well, I’ve done some thinking, and I’ve decided! I’m coming to get you!”_

“You’re… coming here?”

_“Yup! V said you needed saving, so, here I come! Your white knight is coming to the rescue~”_

“Oh, that’s… great I guess, but are you sure? If Ray- I mean, the hacker finds you, it could be dangerous!”

_“I’m not worried!”_

“Seven…”

_“…Okay, I’m a little worried, but I was trying not to show that. I wanted to be cool, you know? Chicks dig a guy that’s cool, calm and collected, or so I’ve heard from my magazines.”_

You let out a small snicker at that. “Right… well…”

_“No need to worry. I’m leaving early in the morning tomorrow, so I’ll be there some time soon. I’d actually like to meet the hacker myself while we’re there… but my first priority is saving you and V.”_

“I’m worried about V,” you admitted, “he hasn’t called me in a while. He’s on the run from the other believers…”

_“V can be reckless at times, but he’s careful too. He’ll cover his tracks. And if he is in trouble right now… then don’t worry. I’ll be there soon.”_

“Okay. I’ll be waiting for you.”

_“But of course, madam. I have to go now, work is calling for me. Stay safe, okay?”_

“Right. Thank you, Seven. Really. The fact that you’re coming to save someone you hardly know…”

_“W-Well, you’re an RFA member now, so that automatically makes you family, or so V says. Besides… you seem pretty cool, so… uhm… anyway! Sorry if I said anything weird, um… I gotta go!”_

He abruptly ended the call, and you stared at your phone in confusion. What was _that_ all about?

You shrugged it off and returned to preparing yourself. A few minutes passed before you heard a knock at your door. 

Ray looked a bit better, you noticed. He seemed much more chipper than he did this morning. There was more color to those pale cheeks of his, and the dark circles under his eyes weren’t quite as severe. “Good afternoon, MC. You look beautiful, as always.”

You felt your cheeks flush at the compliment and you smiled shyly, looking down at your feet.

“I prepared a cake for you today; I’d like to hear what you think. Shall we go?” He offered you an arm, and you happily took it as he led you outside to the garden.

Unfortunately, the sun wasn’t out today. The sky was a steely gray, the dark clouds looking ominously threatening.

“Are you sure it’s not going to rain?” you asked.

“I hope not. I don’t want you getting wet and catching a cold, after all. But then again, sometimes… I like the rain. It calms me down just to listen to it falling. And the rain… is good for the flowers. It helps them bloom and be healthy.”

“What kind of tea did you make today?” you asked as you help him set up on the picnic table.

“Chamomile, you said you wanted to try it. I hope you like it.”

Ray never failed to impress you with his culinary skills. Everything about his meals was damn near perfect, from the taste to the presentation. You both ate in comfortable silence for a moment. You indulged in the meal while he kept most of his attention on you, watching for any sign of dissatisfaction on your face.

“My Savior wishes to meet you,” Ray suddenly said after taking a sip of tea, “so I thought I would take you to her before dinner, and the two of you could eat together.”

You felt your body tense. “The Savior… wants to meet me?”

“Yes. Truthfully, she’s been interested in you since you came, but she wanted to see how you’d adapt before she met you in person.”

“…Right.”

“Honestly, there is a part of me that doesn’t want you to meet the Savior. Because I’m afraid… that you’ll love her more than me. It’s selfish of me to think that way, but I’m so afraid of others stealing you away… even my own Savior…”

A part of you wanted to comfort him, to reach out and reassure him that no one could ever steal you away. But the better part of you knew all too well that you couldn’t offer him anything beyond what you had already given, so you could only express silent condolences and reassurance with your eyes and your smiles. “Well, no offense, but this Savior does sound a bit intimidating.”

“Oh no, the Savior is not a scary person. She can come off as being bold and brash, but she’s a kind person at heart. I am certain that you’ll like her.”

“…Alright then,” you said. “I’ll be waiting.”

You didn’t have much of a desire to meet this Savior, especially if she was the one responsible for why Ray was this way. But now that you knew that Seven was coming for you, your best bet was to play along for now.

_I just hope that, when the time comes… I can take Ray with me._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update, I got busy ^^
> 
> enjoy chapter six!

The time was drawing near and your anxiety was practically through the roof, your heart pounding against your ribcage. You had no idea what to expect from this Savior, so there was no way for you to prepare. From what little information you knew of her, you had concluded that she was most likely incredibly charismatic, which is how she managed to gain such a large following.

A phone call interrupted your thoughts and you jumped when you felt it vibrating in your hand. However, you couldn’t have been more relieved when you saw V on the caller ID.

“V! Oh, thank God, you’re okay! Where are you?”

_“MC…”_

He was panting heavily, grunting between breaths. “V..?”

_“Don’t listen to… a word she says…”_

“Who? V, where are you? Are you okay?”

_“Savior… Rika… don’t listen… her. She… trick you… use you… hurt you… don’t… fall for her lie…”_

You heard the sound of shuffling and a groan of pain before a cheery voice sounded on the other end. “ _Hi! No need to worry, this liar is no longer here to manipulate you, MC.”_

“Ray,” you whispered, “Ray, where are you? What are you doing to V?”

_“I’m just teaching him a lesson… giving him what he deserves… for hurting you, my Savior… I know you’ve grown to care for him, but I cannot allow his sins to go unpunished.”_

“Ray… are you torturing him?”

_“I’ve just been giving him a little bit of this elixir… nothing too bad. But he’s so damn stubborn… so he won’t get to see our paradise. You may not understand now MC, but you will in good time.”_

“Ray-“

_“Oh! It’s time for you to go, isn’t it? I’ll be upstairs in a few minutes… I hope you’re ready for your meeting with the Savior!”_

_Click._

* * *

“My Savior, I’ve brought her.”

The Savior was every bit as beautiful as you had imagined, long blonde hair that fell in elegant curls over her bare shoulders, sparkling green eyes, and soft, pale skin. Still, despite the softness of her features, there was something striking about her.

Her smile was bright as she immediately hurried over to you, taking your hands into her own. “Hello! Welcome to the Magenta! Oh, I hope Ray wasn’t too much trouble. What was he thinking, locking you away in a room like a princess locked in a tower?”

Your eyes briefly flickered over to Ray, whose cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment. “N-Not at all… Ray has been very kind to me.”

“I see… that’s good, I’d expect nothing less from him, after all.” She turned to face Ray, the smile dropping. “Ray, you can leave now. Finish your work for the day then take a break, I’m sure you could use some rest.”

“Yes… right, of course… I take it that MC will be staying with you then?”

“Of course. I’m sure she doesn’t want to go back to that room.”

“Right… then, MC, I’ll see you later.” Ray nodded to both you and the Savior before turning to leave. You watched him walk out with a rather heavy heart.

“Even if you are unhappy here, MC, you must admit… this is a nice change of scenery, no?”

You took a moment to observe your surroundings. The Savior’s room was incredibly stylish and chic, befitting for someone of her status. “Yes,” you said, “this room is huge. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. I worked hard on the design.” She turned back around to look at you, her eyes boring into yours with a deep intensity. “You have beautiful eyes… I feel like I could get lost in them. They are much like V’s eyes, but they’re different too. While his eyes were full of the light from his soul… yours have the perfect balance of darkness and light.” The wistful expression that seemed to have taken over her features suddenly changed to that same happy smile. “Well, let’s get to know each other! Do you like dresses? I have _plenty_ in my wardrobe. You had Ray picking all your outfits for you I’m sure, ones that he thought would look cute on you, but wouldn’t it be nice to have another woman’s perspective? I’m sure we could find something that would fit you, no?”

You swallowed anxiously as she took your hand and led you to her closet. “Feel free to look! Just pick whatever you’d like and try it on! We’re about the same size, don’t you think?”

As you reluctantly browsed through her closet, you found yourself in utter shock that this was the same woman that V had told you not to trust, the same woman that was supposedly manipulating Ray. How could she be? She was so… so…

_Nice._

You shook your head. Just because she appeared nice does not mean that that’s how she truly is. The Savior was far more than what she let on, and you had a feeling that, the more time you spent here, the more you’d come to realize that.

You eventually settled on a simple, one-sleeve white gown.

“Aww, that would look beautiful on you! Go ahead, try it on! You can go into my bathroom to change.”

After you were finished changing, you noticed that she was already preparing the second bed in the room for you.

“I hope you don’t mind sleeping in the same room as me. It’s just that you’ve been locked away in that room by yourself for so long, so I thought it’d be nice for you to have some company. But you’re more than welcome to sleep in the room next to mine if you’re uncomfortable.”

“N-No, I don’t mind…”

“Great! Then, for tonight, I’ll have dinner for the both of us delivered here, and we can eat together. Sounds good, right?”

“Yes, that’s fine, um… thank you…” you trailed, urging her for a name.

The Savior smiled and removed the masquerade mask from her face. “I suppose it won’t do me any harm to tell you. You can call me Rika.”

“Rika,” you murmured, trying the way her name sounded through your voice.

“So, MC, Ray tells me that you are unhappy with your current arrangement.”

Caught off guard by the remark, you stiffen, looking anywhere but her. “Um, well, that’s…”

She waved a dismissive hand. “It’s alright, I understand. With that room being your only surroundings, it can get tiring and boring. I wish Ray had been a little more considerate of you…”

You shook your head. “No, Ray has been… very good to me. He’s very… kind.”

She chuckled dryly at that. “Ray has not always been like that. In fact… sometimes… he’s not like that at all. You know of Ray’s alternate personality, correct?”

“Yes..?”

“MC…” She suddenly rose to her feet, her fingers grazing over the silk sheets. “I am glad that you care for Ray. He’s become a wonderful man. I had the pleasure of watching him grow up. But you have to be careful.”

“Why? Because of his other side?”

“Let me tell you a secret about Ray’s “other side”. When Ray does not take the elixir like he is supposed to… that “other side” of his starts to come out. Of course, there are other things that can trigger it. But that is why Ray must take the elixir. That other side of his is unpredictable, wild. Still loyal of course, but he likes to have his own agenda. If I let him have his way, he would act recklessly. And of course, I can’t allow him to endanger you or anyone else here.”

“So the elixir… is used to control him?” It’s what you had suspected all along, but to hear it straight from Rika herself was shocking to you.

“That’s a rather harsh way of putting it, but yes,” she admitted. “But I assure you, this is something that Ray has consented to. Everyone that’s here at Mint Eye is here of their own volition.”

Had your thoughts really been wrong all this time? Was Ray truly happy here? If he was, who were you to get in the way of that?

**_“Don’t… fall for her lies…”_ **

You wouldn't allow yourself to be deceived that easily. “Answer this, Rika. Is Ray… is _Saeran_ … truly happy here? Is he really here because he wants to be, and not because he’s forced to? Or is what V said true? That you’ve been manipulating Saeran… that he’s being controlled using that elixir…”

She didn’t appear to be fazed by your question. She merely offered you a reassuring smile, taking your hand into her own. “This is his _home_ , MC. The world will not accept him, but I will. And I will accept you too. Though I have to ask… is there a chance you’ve developed feelings for Ray? Being so concerned for his happiness…”

Truthfully, you were starting to ask yourself that very same question. Despite this, you found yourself starting to bury these thoughts. They simply weren’t important right now. What mattered most to you right now was escaping. But what you hadn’t realized until now was that as time passed, you were starting to grow more and more scared of leaving Ray behind. The thought of going on without him caused you a kind of hurt that you had never experienced.

“I… don’t know,” you admitted, your cheeks flushing, “but it doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” she argued, “because loving someone like Ray is dangerous. He’s like a rose, you see. Beautiful, but covered in thorns, a defense mechanism against the cruelty of the outside world. Because of that, he cannot be loved the way you wish to love him. Not without fear.”

“Fear?”

“Yes, fear and love often go together. Ray needs to experience fear and pain before he can experience love and warmth. It is a cycle that is necessary to keep him balanced. Could you love him like that, MC? Love him the way _he_ needs, and not the way you want?”

“Ray already goes through enough pain.”

“It is a necessary pain, MC. You will understand soon enough.” She was about to say something else, but a knock at the door interrupted her.

“My Savior, I’ve brought your meals as requested.”

She beamed, smiling widely. “Great! Let’s eat, and then we’ll go out for a stroll in the garden.”

* * *

Rika was a cold, calculating woman who exuded warmth to control and promised false happiness. A dangerous combination.

“Now that you know the truth of the RFA, I can’t help but wonder… what is your connection to V?”

Caught off guard by the inquiry, you hesitated. The question really had come out of nowhere. The two of you had been browsing through her library when she asked, and now you found yourself struggling to formulate a proper response. “I… um…”

Rika was quick to reassure you. “Ray told me about the things you two talked about. I hope you don’t mind. V seems to be incredibly interested in you, and I can understand why. But you don’t have to worry. You don’t have to hide anything just because V and I used to be… involved. This is a place where you can be open and honest with no judgment. If there is something between the two of you… you are free to tell me.”

Something between you and V? Admittedly, you couldn’t deny that you were attracted to the mystery surrounding him and admired his kindness and dedication. But surely that didn’t mean anything like what she was implying though, right?

“There’s nothing like that going on,” you said, “but V and I are friends, and I care about him.” You remembered the phone call from earlier and shivered a bit at the memory.

“Ah… I see. MC... it’s a mistake to care for that man. Because if you aren’t careful, he’ll do to you what he did to me.”

“What did he do?” you asked.

Rika smiled, though it lacked any real warmth. “He loved me. He loved me unconditionally and it was too much. The light of his love chased out the darkness within me. In other words…” She leaned in close, her lips brushing your ear. “He was just a bit too bright for me.”

She stepped back, the smile from earlier now replaced with a small frown. “He nearly killed me, you know. Every day I found myself struggling beneath the weight of that light. He could never accept me as I was, no matter how many times he told me he loved me… I stopped believing it after I embraced my dark side because he couldn’t do the same. If he could not love me as I grew to love myself, then he couldn’t be a part of my life.”

You wanted to ask why, to ask what V was to her, and why it mattered if you were in the picture. You had so many questions to ask, and yet you couldn’t bring yourself to speak.

“It’s true that at one time I loved V. But I’ve learned to adjust to life without him. And now… _you’re_ here. You… you’re different.”

“How do you mean?” you asked, taking a few steps back to put some distance between the two of you.

She continued to stalk towards you. “I may not know you well MC, but I feel it. The connection we share. I feel as though… I’ve known you my whole life. And I feel… that as time passes… our bond will only deepen.”

“Why me?” you blurted out. “There’s nothing special about me. I’m just some girl that Ray nabbed off the street… you didn’t want me in particular, you wanted whoever you could find to do your dirty work..!”

You gasped and covered your mouth, taken aback by your sudden outburst. However, thankfully, Rika didn’t appear angry or upset at your rather snappy comeback.

“But don’t you see? You were _chosen._ Even someone as ordinary as you was chosen for an opportunity like this. Everyone needs salvation of some sort, whether they realize it or not. And that makes you special. Everyone is special to me.” She reached out to gently caress your cheek. “Don’t think so little of yourself. I can see inside you… I can see your insecurities, your doubts… I can make them all go away if you let me in.”

“…Insecurities, doubts… they’re all normal. Everyone feels that way from time to time,” you argued.

She sighed, dropping her hand and turning away from you. “I used to think that way once. But I came to realize… that it was not “normal” to be insecure every day like I was. As a child, I didn’t have anyone to put my fears to rest. No one cared enough to do such a thing, so I carried the weight of my insecurities, my self-doubt, and my loneliness as I grew up. And I learned to hide these feelings behind a mask of false happiness. But I hid those feelings for far too long, and they started to turn into something darker. I was afraid of what I was becoming, because I was having such dark thoughts. At the time, V constantly reassured me that he loved me no matter what dark thoughts ran through my head. And I believed him for a long while, until I felt my dark side start to burn under the intensity of V’s light. I realized then that his love… was killing me.”

“You chose your dark side over him,” you said. “V was only trying to help, and you…”

Rika looked at you as if you had grown a second head. “Help? He didn’t _help_ me do anything. If anything, he helped me realize that I was hiding who I am for far too long, but even so, he couldn’t love me the way I am.”

“So what, you just cut out anyone that doesn’t agree with you?” you argued. “Rika, please, you should think about this a little more. Maybe V wasn’t trying to hurt you. Maybe he really genuinely wanted to help, and didn’t realize what it was doing to you.”

“It doesn’t matter whether he did or didn’t realize. He should have seen my pain. But he didn’t. He ignored me, and when I showed him my vision, he said I was wrong. But I’m not wrong, MC. You know that, right? That’s why you came here. You were led here by fate… because this is what has been chosen for you.”

“No, I wasn’t,” you replied softly. “I was tricked into coming here, all so I could help with some grand plan to attack the RFA. I know you think you have good intentions Rika, but what you’re doing… is wrong. Drugging these innocent people, brainwashing them, forcing salvation onto them… do you really think that’s okay?”

“MC, you misunderstand me. You’re not seeing the bigger picture. The ends will always justify the means. The people here all needed help, whether they realized it or not. Because when I look inside people, I can see all their pain, their troubles. And I can help them heal. I can help you heal too, but…” She looked away suddenly, averting your gaze as if she were feeling shy. “First, I can’t help but wonder… since V couldn’t… could you accept my darkness?”

Before you had time to answer, Rika’s arms were wrapped around your waist. She wasn’t holding you very tightly, but even so, you still felt trapped, unable to move.

“You have the perfect amount of light and darkness inside you. You don’t have enough light inside you to kill the darkness within me… therefore, we can understand each other. You are so similar to me, to how I used to be. MC, I enjoy having you with me. In just a day and a half, I’ve already grown to like you so much. I can see now why Ray loves you so much… I must admit, I am a bit jealous that he got to spend so much more time with you. But we can spend forever together… if you accept me. Accept me and my darkness, and I will not only save you, but I will love you like you deserve.”

“Rika…” you murmured. In that moment, the only thing you could say was her name. “I…”

“I understand, this must be a lot to take in. It can be very overwhelming. You don’t have to give me an answer now. I am content to wait for you to realize the sincerity of my words, to come to me when you are ready to be loved properly.”

Her words were sweet, laced with the charismatic tone of a temptress. You found yourself nearly welcoming those gentle smiles and soft touches. You hadn’t experienced that in such a long time. Although Ray grew quite fond of holding your hand and patting your head, he was still so afraid to touch you. It was as if you were made of glass, and if he so much as touched you, you would shatter. Even after he had hugged you earlier in the week, he was so quick to let go despite his reluctance.

But you couldn’t allow yourself to be fooled, not again. Rika was the same woman who drugged Ray, who brainwashed him. She was the same woman who was having V tortured. She was the same woman who was after the RFA.

You turned around in her embrace and gently removed her arms, pushing them back down to her sides. “Rika, I’m sorry, but… I can’t. Ray, V, the RFA… they’re all my friends and they’re in danger all because of this place. I can’t accept you. Not now.”

You locked eyes with her and you wore you saw hurt flash across them. There was a small part of you that felt for her, that wished that you could offer her comfort. But you knew, deep down, that there was nothing you could do for her.

“I see. Then… you are more like V than I thought. So you lean more towards the light then, as well.” She chuckled humorlessly. “I have an idea. Let’s go visit V now.”

You raised a brow. “You want to go see V?”

She nodded. “Yes. I want you to see for yourself what he’s done to me. I want you to be there when he admits what he did to me. Then… then you’ll come to understand.”

“Understand what?”

“That I’m not the enemy. That _V_ is the one who ruined _me_.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rating jump! this may or may not be jumping to M within the near future... '^^
> 
> sorry for the wait! enjoy chapter seven!

“Ah, V, there you are.”

You gasped in horror when you saw the state that he was in. He was covered in sweat, his hair mussed, his breathing erratic. He could barely stand, as he was using the bars of the open cell for support.

Rika clicked her tongue. “What’s this? It seems that Ray didn’t listen very well… I told him I wanted you to still be able to speak and stand…” she muttered with a disappointed sigh.

“I… can speak…” V murmured weakly. “Rika… what do you want?”

“V!” You were quick to rush over to him, checking for any signs of physical injury. “V, are you okay?”

When he met your eyes, you could see how glazed they were, clouded from the effects of the elixir. “MC… Rika… why did you bring her down here..!”

“I wanted her to bear witness to this,” Rika replied with an almost devilish smirk. “She cares for you, V. Maybe she even loves you. But she won’t after you tell her the _truth._ Go on. Tell her. Tell her about all the lies!”

He drew in a deep, shaky breath, clutching onto the bars on the door to keep his unsteady legs from giving out. “Whatever you want to hear Rika, I’ll tell you. But… first… promise me something.”

She wagged her finger in disapproval, slinking towards him with a dangerous grin. “You’re in no position to be making demands.”

“Let MC go. You can… have me; do whatever you want with me. But… let her go, let Ray go, and leave the RFA alone.”

“How noble,” she grumbled under her breath. “Again, V, you misunderstand. I’ve never wanted to hurt the RFA.”

“Your problem is with me. So take what you want… and leave them out of it.”

“And if I don’t? Besides, MC and Ray… they _belong here._ They want to stay. Right, MC? Tell him. Tell him of the time you spent with Ray, how you grew so fond of him. Or better yet, tell him about the time you spent with _me._ ”

You exchanged glances between V and Rika, finding yourself to be put on the spot. You frantically searched your mind for an appropriate answer as you felt Rika’s expectant stare drilling holes into you.

“It’s true that… while I was here, I did get attached to Ray. He was kind to me. But… the RFA have become my friends. Rika… I can’t let you hurt them anymore! So… if you don’t listen to V, then…”

“Then what?” she asked, as if challenging you.

“This ends here, with me,” V interrupted. You noticed that he had finally released his death grip on the cell bars, leaning more of his weight onto you for support. “No one else. That’s why… you want to target the RFA. Because of me.”

She laughed dryly. “That’s your problem, V. You may not realize it, but you’re incredibly selfish, thinking that everything is about _you._ You may be the head of the RFA, but so am I. It’s _my organization._ ” She met your eyes, the coldness in hers seeming to melt when she locked gazes with you. “But… for MC, for _Saeran_ , I’ll make you a deal. I want you to tell MC everything. I want you to expose yourself right in front of her, to spill your lies. I want her to see for herself the kind of monster you are. Then… maybe she’ll realize how pointless it is to try and save you.”

“And if I don’t?” you asked boldly.

Rika’s jaw tensed, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “Then I’ll let you go. You and Saeran. If you truly think that there is a place for that boy in this world, then you can escape together. But V… V stays here.”

“No deal,” you replied. “V comes with me. End of discussion.”

“MC-“

“No, shut up,” you interrupted. “We’re getting out of here. You, me, and Saeran. I don’t care what kind of past you have with Rika. That doesn’t make you any less of a person to me. I don’t need to hear any of it.”

“You don’t understand. Rika… is right about me. You deserve to know… what I did to her. It’s just as much _my_ fault as it hers that I’m here right now, that _you’re_ here.”

“I don’t care! If it’s that important, you can tell me after we get out of here!” You turned to face Rika, offering her a soft smile. “Rika… you can put a stop to all of this. It doesn’t have to be this way. I can help you, if you let me.”

“Help? MC, do you… do you think I’m sick? Is there… is something wrong with me?”

In just a matter of minutes, her whole demeanor seemed to shift. She now looked more like a scared child than anything. Her voice seemed so small compared to mere moments ago.

“Yes, you are sick. But it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if you let it go on… you’ll only suffer more. Don’t you want to end it?”

“…I do,” she admitted. “And it will end… it will end here, tonight, with V. You, me, and V.”

“Rika-“

“V… is the one who ruined me, can’t you see? I’m like this because of _him!_ He’s the reason I’ve been suffering all this time… he’s the reason Saeran is in so much pain. I’m not sick. V is the one who told you that, right? That’s what he always said… that I was sick and needed help… but I don’t need help. What I need… is for V to admit to his sins… so that I can finally…”

V gently pushed you aside to approach her, his footsteps shaky. “Rika… listen to me… the only lie… was the love we shared. It was only… a sick obsession. I... smothered you with false, unconditional love based on obsession and desire… and look where it got us.”

“What… what do you mean false?”

“Our love was false,” V replied firmly. “Rika, it was never real.”

Just a minute ago she had been boisterous, confident, so incredibly sure of herself. But now, now that mask concealing her insecurities and fears had started to crack. She spoke of V with such disdain in her voice, but now, now she sounded as though she couldn’t so much as _breathe_ without him.

“B-But it was real,” she argued. “It was! V, it was real. That love… was real… it had to be…”

V shook his head. “No, Rika, it wasn’t. Besides… aren’t you the one that said… my love was smothering you..?”

Rika stumbled as she buried her hands into her hair, tears brimming in her eyes. “No, it’s… you loved me. You loved me, you did! It was real, it was real, it was real! All of it was real! Tell me it was real! Tell me that that part of my life wasn’t a lie! Tell me that there was someone in my life that actually loved me!” She fell to her knees, sobbing hysterically, pulling at the blond strands of her hair.

V looked away, as though he couldn’t stand the sight of her. “No, Rika… I’m sorry. I didn’t love you. I was… never fit… to love you. It was an obsession. I was obsessed with… the idea of you, obsessed with the idea… of love-“

“No! Tell me… tell me you love me!”

“Rika…”

“Even if it’s not true… let me have the illusion… let me believe that there was someone in my life who actually cared about me…”

“I did care about you, Rika… but I cared too much. Can’t you see… that I was hurting the both of us by being that way?”

“I don’t care! I’d rather be hurt by love… than to never experience it at all.”

“I’m sorry, but what you call love… was only a sick obsession. Our relationship… was a fantasy.”

Rika fell silent for a moment. You watched as she wept to herself, tears streaming down her pinked cheeks, her body heaving with each sob. The scene was tearing you apart but you were stuck, frozen to the spot, unsure of how to comfort either of them.

“S-So then… that means… no one has ever loved me? I’ve gone… my whole life… without being loved by anyone? No… I refuse to believe it! V… even if our love was an obsession as you call it… it was still love, right? You still wanted me, right? You still believed in me and cared for me, right?”

“Rika…”

Before you can hear what V has to say, you heard a small voice whispering from the other side of the cell. You looked behind Rika’s shaking form and saw what was unmistakably Seven standing there, pressing a finger to his lips to urge you to be quiet. You nodded before looking over at V, meeting his eyes and gesturing to where Seven stood waiting. As Rika continued to sob, you quickly rushed over to him and threw his arm over your shoulder, lifting him up so he could lean against you for support. Seven nodded and gestured for the two of you to exit the cell.

Ever so slowly, you crept around Rika, watching her every move so that she didn’t turn around and catch you. Once you successfully exited the cell, you began to slowly make your way out of the room, Rika’s loud cries echoing out behind you.

“Okay,” Seven said once the two of you made it out into the hallway. “V, on my back, now.”

“Luciel-“

“V, back, _now.”_

With a defeated sigh, V removed his arm from around your neck and climbed onto his back, his head resting against his right shoulder. The sight looked a little funny considering how much taller V was compared to Seven, but you forced yourself to focus on one thing, which was getting out of here _alive._

Wait. _Getting out._

_You were escaping._

“Hold on! Seven, we need… we can’t leave without Ray! And what about Rika?”

“Ray? You mean that hacker?” Seven asked. “MC, look, I’d love to meet him, but we’re a little pressed for time here.”

“But I promised I wouldn’t leave him!”

“Well, that’s a promise you’re going to have to break. Look, if it bothers you that much, we’ll come back for him after V recovers.”

“But-“

“MC. V’s in pain. We have to go and I’m not leaving here without you.”

V was in pain. That was all that should matter at the moment and yet, your thoughts were still consumed by Ray. But Seven was right. V was hurting and he needed help immediately, and you certainly were not going to leave him to die.

_Ray, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I’ll come back for you, I swear._

* * *

“Sorry, MC, I know this is probably really uncomfortable. But the hideout is pretty far from here. It’s gonna be at least two more hours.”

“It’s okay,” you replied, shifting a bit uncomfortably in your seat. You looked down at V, who was resting comfortably in your lap and sighed, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

“MC… just who is Ray? Why didn’t you want to leave him behind?”

“Ray is… the hacker. He’s the reason the messenger looks the way it does right now. I know this is going to sound strange, but… while I was there… Ray was kind to me. He never hurt me. I found out that he was also being manipulated by Rika. So I thought… I thought that maybe I could save him too,” you explained.

“We can,” Seven reassured you. “MC, as soon as V is stable, we’ll go back for him. If he really is being controlled by Rika, then… maybe we can help him, and all the other people trapped in Mint Eye.”

“Seven-“

He smiled, and you couldn’t help but notice that that crooked grin of his looked oddly… _familiar._ “Don’t worry, I don’t mind going back. Like I said, I kinda wanna meet the only hacker in the universe that’s better than me.”

“God, you’re so full of yourself,” a gruff, unfamiliar voice snapped from the passenger seat.

Seven merely laughed in response. “That’s Miss Vanderwood, by the way, she’s my maid,” he said, pointing his thumb at the older man.

“For the love of Christ, would you stop referring to me as a woman?” The owner of the voice turned around to face you. Despite sounding older, he didn’t _appear_ to be much older than Seven. Even so, he was an attractive man with chiseled, masculine features. The long hair that spilled over his shoulders suited him, but it was abundantly clear that it was just a wig. You wondered what his real hair looked like. “Name’s Vanderwood, and I’m actually his _boss,_ not his maid.”

“Correction, _supervisor.”_

“Yeah, whatever. Point is, I make sure you don’t fuck around, which is exactly what you’re doing _right now._ ”

“Hey, take it easy! No taser gun, I’m driving!”

Vanderwood rolled his eyes before returning his attention to you, gesturing to V. “How’s he doing?”

You looked down at him. He seemed to be asleep for now, but his breathing was ragged, a thin sheen of sweat coating his skin. “He seems to be okay for now, but the chemicals are still in his system.”

“If we can’t take him to the hospital, then we have to let his body cleanse itself naturally. Hey fuckwad, do you really think we have that kind of time?”

“Oh, fuckwad, I like that one!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I meant _dumbass.”_

Seven pouted. “Meanie…”

The agent groaned, slumping in his seat. “God, the boss is gonna kill the both of us for this.”

“Hey, if he gets worried and calls you, just tell him we’re working on it!”

“I’m sorry, do you know the boss? He’s not exactly an understanding guy-“

You then decided to drown out their bickering, instead focusing on the sleeping man on your lap. Of all the people that this could’ve happened to, why did it have to be V? V, the man who never once thought of himself, who was so selfless that it scared even you. Someone so gentle, so kind… how could he possibly deserve this?

_What was Ray thinking?_

* * *

You arrived at the hideout late that night.

“MC… MC, I…”

You shushed him, urging him to lay back on the bed. “Stop it. Don’t talk right now, save your strength. You need to rest.”

V looked like he wanted to protest, but it seemed he didn’t even have the strength for that. He met your eyes, trying to express his words to you through them. You were surprised to see how expansive they were before they slowly fluttered closed.

“We need a plan,” Vanderwood declared, pacing anxiously around the living room of the small cabin. “This hideout isn’t safe. If that Mint Eye place is out looking for MC, then we’re definitely in trouble.”

“Once V is well enough, we’re going to head out again, just the two of us,” Seven replied, gesturing to himself and to you.

“Oh yeah, and you’re going to leave him here?” Vanderwood gestured to where V slept peacefully.

“We have to,” Seven replied, “he can’t come with us. Why would he want to go back to the place he just escaped? Besides, it’ll be better for him to heal here where he’s not moving around too much.”

“So what, I’m supposed to play babysitter while you two are off playing rescue operation?”

“Pretty much.”

“No, fuck that. I’m coming with you. You’ll need backup.”

“Enough,” you interrupted. “We’ll figure this out tomorrow. We all need to rest.”

Vanderwood grumbled something under his breath while Seven jumped to his feet. “Good idea! MC, you take the other bed, I’ll take the couch since I have to work anyway.” He turned to face Vanderwood, grinning mischievously. “Oh, Vandy, sorry, looks like you’re stuck with the floor~”

“The hell I am!”

You shook your head. “It’s okay, Vanderwood, you can take the bed. I’m going to stay with V for now. If I get tired, I’ll sleep on the chair.”

“That’s not going to work,” Seven mumbled with a sigh. “Alright, new plan! I take the chair, Vandy gets the bed, MC takes the couch. Good?”

“I like that plan a lot better. And stop giving me weird ass nicknames!”

Seven stuck his tongue out, to which Vanderwood threatened to tase him for what had to be the fifth time that night.

“I haven’t slept for the past 30 hours, so I’m going to sleep. Agent Dumbass, I trust you’ll have your work taken care of by morning?”

Seven saluted him, grinning a mischievous grin. “But of course! When do I ever let the boss down?”

“I hope you weren’t being serious, asking that. Anyway, MC, if you could, keep an eye on him too. Make sure he doesn’t goof around. I almost feel bad, leaving him in here with you…”

You waved a dismissive hand. “Come on, Vanderwood, give him a little more credit!”

“Aww, MC is sticking up for me!” Seven gushed, dramatically fanning himself as if he were flattered. “I hope you’re not falling for me~”

“You wish,” you replied teasingly, holding a hand to your mouth to stifle a giggle.

“Gross. This may be hard for you two, but don’t make too much noise, alright?” And with that, he promptly stormed off to bed, leaving you to wonder what he could’ve meant by that.

“Hey Seven, what did he mean by-“

“Ahahaha, oh, Vanderwood! He’s hilarious, isn’t he?! Hahaha…”

You watched as he awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

_What’s up with him?_


	8. Chapter 8

“It looks like he’s finally sleeping peacefully,” you said as you watched V's chest rise and fall smoothly. You yawned, stretching your exhausted limbs. “I think maybe now I can get some rest.”

“You should, you’re probably exhausted. Oh- here, I’ll move-”

“It’s okay,” you reassured him, seating yourself next to him. “You could probably use some company, right?”

Seven’s amber eyes went wide as he processed your words, a light shade of pink dusting across his cheeks. “W-What? Um, no, it’s okay, this is, um, pretty important so… I shouldn’t be distracted.”

“Oh,” you replied dejectedly. “Well, maybe there’s something I can help with?”

“No!” he shouted. You jumped a bit, surprised by his sudden outburst.

“Sorry, I mean, it’s just… this is agent stuff. Bad stuff. I don’t want to get you involved in it. It’s dangerous. The best thing you can do for me is let me work. So just… get some rest, and when you’re ready to go to sleep, let me know and I’ll move for you.”

You smiled, nodding at him. “Yes sir. Sorry for bugging you, I just wanted to make myself useful somehow. This can’t be easy on you, trying to balance your agent work while saving V and I.”

“Thanks, b-but I’ll manage. B-By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask.” He took off his headphones, momentarily turning away from the screen of his laptop to face you. “Back there… you mentioned Rika. You asked about her. After all of this… do you really want to save her? I mean, look at what she did to V… to Ray… and to you.”

You hesitated to answer, fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. “I thought… I thought that maybe… since she was so important to all of you… that you’d want to save her too.”

Seven met your eyes in an intense stare, and for a second you feared you had angered him. But those worries dissipated when you saw a big smile stretch across his face, a series of snickers slipping past his lips. “Man, you are just… too much… seriously, what are you?”

“I… I don’t…”

“You just offered to save the same woman who had you kidnapped. If that doesn’t make you some kind of saint, then I don’t know what does.”

You giggled softly. “I wouldn’t say it makes me a saint… I just… wanted to give her a chance to reach out. But… she didn’t want it.”

“Exactly. We all reached out to her, and she rejected us. That’s not on us.” He placed a hand on your shoulder. “I need you… to remember that MC, okay?”

“O-Okay,” you replied.

“Good.”

* * *

Ray shuffled nervously at the front of your door, twirling a bouquet of roses in his left hand. He raised his right hand to gently knock. “MC, it’s me. I know… I know that it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, and I know that… you’re probably still mad at me, but… I want to talk. Will you please open the door?”

No answer.

He knocked again, more persistently this time. “MC, come on, please. You’ve been ignoring me all day. I know that you’re angry, but please give me a chance to explain. I promise I’ll find a way to make this up to you… just please…”

Yet again, there was no response.

Ray frowned, there was something going on. You wouldn’t ignore him on purpose for this long. Perhaps you just needed some air. Or maybe… did someone from the RFA kidnap you?

He needed to know. He needed to be sure that you were safe.

“MC, forgive me, but I’m coming in!”

He opened the door, and was surprised to find that the room was vacant. The bed was still perfectly made, but the blue roses he had left were dying.

You used to tell him when the flowers were dying.

“She’s… not here…”

_Calm down, calm down._ Maybe you went to the garden? Yes, that had to be it- to clear your mind. Surely you had a lot to think about- that was probably where you were. Ray hurried down the stairs and out the back exit where the garden was. “MC? Where are you?”

Nothing. The garden was empty, too.

Now what? You couldn’t be anywhere else; he hadn’t allowed you to see any other area of the building. Except-

_Of course! The Savior!_

The Savior would know. She knew everything, after all.

When he walked into her room, he was surprised to find her curled up on the bed, her face red and her eyes filled with tears.

“My Savior!” Ray cried, rushing over to her. “Are you-“

“I’m fine!” she snapped, scooting away from him. “I’m _fine, Ray,_ I just-“

“Are you hurt? You’re crying, why? Are you upset?” Ray reached out to offer her comfort, but Rika roughly smacked his hand away, curling even further into herself.

“Get out, Ray.”

“My Savior-“

“I said _get out!_ ”

“MC is missing,” he said, trying to speak over her sobs. “I was wondering if you knew where-“

“She’s gone! Seven took her and V with him… they escaped… both of them… they’re gone…”

“Gone…” Ray repeated, the word bouncing around in his head. It sounded almost foreign to him. “You mean… MC left us? Left me?”

“No, Ray, listen to me.” She perked up immediately, urging him to come closer. “Your brother, Saeyoung. He’s the one responsible. You wanted to get revenge? Well, here’s your chance. Get MC and Saeyoung back. Bring them both here. You can have revenge on your brother… and you can bring MC to paradise. Yes… that’s right!” She quickly scooted off the bed. “We haven’t been defeated yet! This is our chance, Ray!”

Of course. There was no way you left him willingly. You promised that you’d stay. You _chose_ him, after all. It was all that bastard Saeyoung’s fault. He kidnapped you, dragged you out into the cruelty of the real world. He wouldn’t allow this world, allow _him,_ to corrupt someone as beautiful and pure as you.

“Yes, my Savior. I’ll start preparing.”

* * *

A faint vibrating sound brought you out of your half-awake state.

Groaning, you sat up, wondering who could be calling you at this hour. You looked over to see that Seven had finally fallen asleep in the chair across the room, his headphones still playing music. V was still asleep as well. So who could it be..?

Panic set in when you saw the caller ID. _Ray…_

“H-Hello?”

_“MC! Thank God, you picked up. You’re okay, right? Seven hasn’t hurt you or anything, right?”_

You were surprised at how relieved you felt to hear his voice again after so long. “What? No, of course not. Ray, are you alright?”

He hesitated for a moment. _“I wish I could say I am… but without you here… I feel…”_

“Ray…”

_“When you were around, everything looked… brighter. The sky, the flowers… they all looked so much more vibrant. But now… now that you’re gone… it feels like all the color in my life has been drained. Your presence used to be a constant reminder that I was alive, but now… everything feels so dull. The flowers that I used to love so much… now don’t look nearly as beautiful. And your room… I feel like it’s lost all meaning now.”_

“You don’t have to worry, Ray. We’ll meet again soon, I promise.”

_“Yes… we will. Because the two of us… we were destined to meet, right? It was fate. And now… I’m going to make sure we live out that destiny.”_

“What do you mean..?”

_“Sit tight, MC. I’m coming for you.”_

“What?! Ray, wait a sec-!”

_Click._

You sighed, dropping your phone onto your lap. You were about to lock it and try to go back to sleep, but you froze when you saw a notification for a new text message from Ray.

_From: Ray_

_2:45 A.M._

_I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss y o u_

* * *

Unsurprisingly, you hadn’t managed to get much sleep last night. With the stiffness of the couch and the lingering thoughts of Ray, you figured that sleep was going to be pretty much impossible. Also unsurprisingly, Seven didn’t fare much better, seeing as how he had to sleep in a chair. You had offered him the couch multiple times throughout the night, but he refused every time.

You seated yourself next to V, who was still asleep, and took his hand. “I’m worried about him,” you told Seven. “Will he really be okay if we leave him here on his own?”

“What other choice do we have? We can’t take him with us. Trust me; this is the safest thing for him. V seems to be stable right now, so the plan is to leave tomorrow morning.”

As much as you hated to admit it, Seven was right. You couldn’t bring him back to Mint Eye in this state, and as more time passed, you feared that _Ray_ might end up coming _here_ rather than the other way around.

“You’re right. We need to move soon.”

“What’s with the sudden change of heart?” Seven asked through a mouthful of cereal.

“He called me last night,” you said, “and I’m starting to get worried that he might end up looking for me. And if he comes here, you and V will be in danger.”

“Oh, scary. Can’t wait to meet him.” Seven suddenly rose to his feet, stretching. “Keep an eye on V, would you? I’m gonna go wake up Vanderwood.”

You returned your attention to V, gently squeezing his hand. Yours were freezing; the whole cabinet was considering that it had no heating. But for some reason, probably the fever, his hand was warm and you took comfort in that.

You were about to get up to go make yourself some cereal as well, but stopped when you felt a light squeeze on your hand.

“V..?” you asked tentatively.

“MC…” he breathed out, his eyes still closed. “Don’t… don’t go…”

God, how could you refuse him when he was like this?

“Yeah,” you said, sitting back down beside him, “alright. I’m not going anywhere.”

You felt another squeeze before he drifted back into a deep sleep.

_V… please… wake up soon. Open your eyes. I need to see with my own two eyes that you’re okay._

* * *

“Vanderwood, rise and shine~!”

“Seven!” The secret agent scrambled to cover himself with the blanket. “What the fuck?! Don’t you knock?!”

“Oh…” Seven murmured, humming thoughtfully. “Vanderwood sleeps in the nude! I never would’ve guessed~” He eyed him almost appreciatively, smirking down at him. “And _that’s_ your real hair?!”

Vanderwood pushed his messy blond bangs out of his face, heaving a heavy sigh. “Tell anyone about this and I’ll kill you.”

“My lips are sealed! Promise!”

“Good. Now get out so I can get changed.”

Seven tightly shut his eyes, turning around to face the door. He heard Vanderwood stepping around the room, searching for his clothes. “You know,” he said as he pulled his pants on, “I barely got any sleep last night cause of all that racket you two were making.”

A bright flush dominated Seven’s cheeks. “U-Uh… w-what are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Vanderwood replied as he pulled his shirt over his head. “I know you know what I’m talking about. You’re into her, aren’t you?”

“Her? Who, MC?”

“Who else? You’ve got a thing for her, I know you do. I heard you two up last night giggling. And I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

The pink on his cheeks had now darkened to a deep red. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. MC is nice, but I don’t… we’re not…”

“You sure about that? Is that why you get all jumpy every time she gets close to you?”

“I-I don’t get jumpy!”

“You do too. Face it,” Vanderwood paused to slip on his wig, “you like her. Or maybe it’s just lust. Maybe you just want to f-“

“Stop it,” he interrupted. “Don’t say that. This isn’t a soap opera, Vanderwood. I don’t have any feelings like that, and even if I did… it doesn’t matter.”

“Why? Is it because she’s into the unconscious one? Or is it that hacker she seems so fond of? Which one are you jealous of?”

“I’m not jealous!” he shouted. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, it doesn’t matter, because in this line of work, relationships can’t happen. You of all people know that better than anyone. So let’s just drop it now.”

Vanderwood, surprisingly, kept silent.


	9. Chapter 9

The day had been relatively quiet.

You had taken to watching over V to see if he woke up, whereas Seven and Vanderwood were using their free time to catch up on their work for the agency. The chatroom kept you entertained, and you felt a bit bad that you hadn’t been keeping up with your emails for the party. Although you knew you wouldn’t be able to throw a party like the ones Rika used to have, you hoped that you could throw something together, even now.

You were about to get up to see if you could get any rest, but paused when you felt your phone vibrating in your hand.

_Jumin?_

This wasn’t the first time he called you, but he usually didn’t call anyone unless he had an important reason to do so.

“Hello?”

_“MC, I’m glad you picked up. How is V?”_

“V is… well, he hasn’t woken up yet. But he’s stable. I think he’ll recover completely after a few days.”

_“I see… that’s good. I’ve been… really worried about him. While I was in those meetings yesterday, all I could think of was him. But I trust that you’re taking good care of him.”_

“Yes… I’m doing what I can.”

_“Good. He trusts you, you know. Unconditionally. That’s always been a flaw of V’s. He’s so incredibly naïve, even if he doesn’t realize it. Though I don’t believe that you’re a threat anymore now that I understand your situation, I hope… that he hasn’t misplaced his trust.”_

“Not at all. I know you’re worried, Jumin, but with Seven and I here, V is in good hands.”

_“Alright, I’ll leave it to you then. Oh, I wanted to tell you… about the party… if it doesn’t seem like V is well enough after a few days, then we’ll have to cancel the party. It will be on rather short notice, but we won’t have any other choice if V is not recovered by then. So in other words… don’t stress yourself out over those emails.”_

“Thanks Jumin. I’ve been answering as many as I can, but…”

_“If you are feeling stressed, I’ve heard that a hot bath is helpful. I would recommend trying it.”_

“Maybe you should try one too. Owner of a major corporation, that’s gotta be stressful.”

_“…Perhaps you’re right. Thank you for expressing concern, but I am fine. V is the one you should be worrying about right now, though- oh, yes, of course. I’ll be there right away.”_

“Jumin?”

_“MC, I’m sorry, but I have a meeting. I’ll call you later. Just… do me a favor, and let me know when V is awake.”_

“Of course. I’ll see you later.”

_“Yes, you will. I have a feeling that… we’ll be able to meet face-to-face soon. Then, please excuse me.”_

* * *

“Do you think I could make a robot that breathes fire?”

“Seven, that’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard.”

“But it’d be cool, right?”

“I don’t know, I guess? Stop looking for a distraction and get back to work!”

“Ah, but Miss Vanderwood, you’re such a fun distraction!”

The sound of them bickering had almost become soothing to you at this point. It was strange when the two of them _weren’t_ going back and forth all day.

You returned your attention to V, smiling softly at his peaceful expression. He looked so comfortable, so calm… you almost wished he didn’t have to wake up, to be reintroduced into the cruelty of reality. You thought of Jumin’s words, about V trusting you unconditionally. Although you had reassured him, you couldn’t help but hope the same thing. You wanted to come through for him. He placed his faith in you, and right now, that meant more to you than anything.

You gently stroked the back of his hand with your thumb. “V… I really hope… that you still have faith in me.”

“Always,” you heard a raspy, but familiar voice reply. “Never lost faith in you. Not once.”

You froze in place as you slowly looked up at him, eyes wide and lips parted as you tried to form words. He was smiling, his eyes were sparkling and he looked happier than you had ever seen him. He was still terribly pale, and you could tell that the effects of the chemicals hadn’t completely worn off yet, but he was making progress.

You couldn’t help yourself. It was the best news you’ve had all week. You threw yourself at him, wrapping your arms around him. You were careful not to be too forceful, but even so, you felt him tense under the weight of your body, the feeling of your arms around him.

“M-MC…”

“Sorry,” you replied, your voice shaky. You pulled away just enough to look at him, tears brimming in your eyes. “I just missed you. I’m so glad you’re okay, really, you have no idea.”

“I… missed you too…” he admitted. “I dreamt of you,” he said softly, meeting your eyes with an intensity you’ve never seen before. “Were you here? This whole time?”

“Yes,” you replied. “I’ve been waiting for when you’d wake up. I didn’t want to miss it, so I tried as hard as I could to stay right here.”

V opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Seven awkwardly clearing his throat, Vanderwood standing behind him with a small blush present on his cheeks.

“Seven,” V said, turning his attention away from you and onto him. “How are you holding up?”

Seven shrugged. “I’m fine. You should worry about yourself right now, V.”

“Well… I’m more worried about you. This… couldn’t have been easy for you.”

“It wasn’t, but what can I say? The Defender of Justice isn’t an easy position to be in.”

“I’ll find some way to thank you for all of this later. Really.”

Seven snorted, rolling his eyes. “Don’t bother. I don’t need to be thanked for saving your life.”

“This reunion is nice and all,” Vanderwood interjected, “but don’t you think we should be coming up with an actual plan now that he’s awake? The agency or that Mint Eye place could be knocking on that door any second now.”

“He’s right,” V replied, his tone falling flatly. “I’m sorry to have distracted you all and kept you waiting. Seven, what’s my next move?”

Seven arched a brow, scoffing. “ _Your next move?_ You’re not doing anything. Your next move is to sit here and get better until MC and I get back.”

“Where are you going? Why are you taking her along?” he asked.

“Ray is back there,” you explained. “I promised I wouldn’t leave him behind. I’m coming back for him. Even if I have to go on my own.”

“Let me go,” V offered, tossing the blanket off of him to climb out of bed. “I’ll end this, once and for all. I will save Ray, and Rika will have her closure.”

“No,” you said, shaking your head. “If there’s anyone that Ray will listen to… it’s me. I’m the only one who can save him. I may not have the influence over him like Rika does, but if he loves me like he says he does then-“

“He said he loved you?” V asked, eyes wide and boring into yours. You felt your heart skip a beat.

You felt your cheeks burning red with embarrassment. “I… sorry, I didn’t mean to let that slip. It’s fine, it’s not…” you trailed, unsure of what to say.

“MC… you have to understand… that Ray is very damaged. I won’t doubt or deny his feelings towards you, but you have to realize that he’s…”

“…I know,” you answered, your voice coming out a lot meeker than you had intended. “But I can’t… I won’t let him suffer… not any more. All his life he’s been lied to, all the people who said they would help him lied. I want to be the one person in his life that tells the truth.”

You knew that Ray probably didn’t love you. That the broken, frightened young boy inside of him had had the idea of love twisted due to years of Rika’s influence.

Maybe you could be the one to change the meaning for him.

“You seem to know a lot about this Ray person, V,” Seven added, narrowing his eyes almost suspiciously at him. “Who is he? Is he someone from another agency?”

V averted his glare. “He’s… no one important, not to you-“

“He’s important to me!” you cried out. “He’s important to me, and that’s what matters! Whether or not you guys are coming with me, that’s up to you. But I’m going whether you guys like it or not!”

“He’s not important? V, he’s a better hacker than I am. You seem to know him personally. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

V heaved a heavy sigh. “Luciel, I wish I could tell you, I really do. But right now just really isn’t the time-“

“When will the time be then, V? Six months from now? A year? Five?” Seven stormed over to him, jabbing a finger at his chest as he glared up at him. “I’m not just gonna let you carry all these secrets with you for the rest of your life. You’re either gonna tell me right now, in this cabin, or so help me God, I will take MC with me and leave you here. No more secrets. No more lies. I’m sick and tired of it.”

V placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Luciel… if I revealed the identity of Ray to you right now… you would likely go off on a selfish rampage. So if keeping all of you safe means jeopardizing my friendship with you… then so be it.”

“V… if you don’t tell him, I will,” you said, a warning tone present in your voice. “I don’t know what his relationship to Seven is, but… if you’re hiding it like this… then he must be important somehow. I don’t want Seven to hear it from me. I feel like you should be the one to tell him. But if you won’t… then I will.”

“MC-“

“Let us help,” you argued. “I get that you want to protect us, but if you hide this from Seven, then you’re going to hurt him. Lying to him and keeping secrets, that hurts worse… than anything else in the world. It’s an unimaginable agony. So please… tell him. Tell him Ray’s true name.”

You could hear him breathe as he tried to regulate his rapidly beating heart. He was nervous. He was never nervous. When did he get nervous?

“I… I’ve hurt you all so much already…”

Seven ignored the words and stepped closer. “Ray’s real name. Tell me.”

“It’s Saeran,” V blurted out, “Ray’s real name is Saeran.”

Seven’s mouth fell open. He stumbled backwards as he attempted to process the revelation.

“S-Saeran…” he muttered softly, “my brother… my brother is..?”

“I’m so sorry Luciel. I had to keep this from you, otherwise you would’ve come looking for him. I’m sorry.”

You watched as his face seemed to darken, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits as he stepped dangerously close to V. “You… you lied to me about Saeran… you promised you’d keep him safe… you said he was happy… yet this whole time… this whole time…”

V lowered his head, unable to so much as look him in the eye. “It was the only way I could protect the both of you. I tried to stop Rika from creating Mint Eye, I did, but it… it wasn’t enough…”

“He was my **_brother!_** ” Seven fisted his hands into V’s shirt, yanking him forward until they were nearly nose-to-nose. “He was my brother and you lied to me! Lied to me all so Rika could turn him into… into…”

“Please Luciel, I never wanted this for Saeran. I love him and you know that!”

“Do I? Because last I checked, if you love someone, you would try to save them from being drugged or brainwashed. But no, I guess Saeran wasn’t good enough for that, huh? You’d rather let me live the rest of my life thinking that he was off living happily somewhere! Were you ever gonna tell me?! Did you really think I was that stupid?!”

“Enough!” you shouted, stepping in between the two of them. “Seven, you need to _calm down_.”

You could feel his eyes, his eyes that blazed with unadulterated fury, burning holes into your skull as he turned to look down at you. “That’s my fucking brother that he’s been lying to me about, and I’m just supposed to calm down?!”

“Yes!” you replied. “There’s an explanation for all of this, I’m sure of it. In the mean time, let’s just calm down until we can all form a proper plan. Okay?”

Seven glared daggers at V before releasing his vice-like grip on his shirt and storming out the front door, slamming it shut behind him. You immediately moved to follow him, but Vanderwood’s voice stopped you dead in your tracks.

“I wouldn’t,” he advised. “He gets like that sometimes. Give him some time to cool off, he’ll come around.”

“I’m sorry,” V choked out between a hushed sob, “this is… all my fault. I never intended for him to find out this way, I…”

“It’s okay,” you reassured him, placing your hand atop his. “Seven will forgive you. You just have to explain things properly, and with time, he’ll forgive you.”

“I really was only trying to look out for him. I never meant to hurt either of them.”

“And Seven will understand that.”

You felt a sudden weight on your shoulder.

“MC… honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’ve been so good to me… I don’t deserve your kindness.”

You gently laid your head against his, smiling at the feeling of his soft hair tickling your cheek. “You deserve a lot more than me.”

* * *

_[707 has entered the chatroom]_

707: Ray…

707: I know you’re in here. I know that you claimed to be the developer of this app.

707: I know that you’re the hacker.

707: And I know that you’re monitoring our chatrooms.

707: And I know you’re reading this right now.

707: So Ray… come on out.

_[Ray has entered the chatroom]_

Ray: Ah… looks like you figured it out.

707: Not exactly. You’re good at covering your tracks, Ray. Way too good.

707: Why don’t you tell me why you’re at Mint Eye? And what you want with MC, Saeran?

Ray: **_DON’T SAY THAT NAME!!!_**

707: Why not? It’s your name.

Ray: No! It’s… no… it’s already started… I can’t stop him…

707: Him?

Ray: You… you abandoned me… brother… one and only…

Ray: **_no, you’re nothing but filthy s c UM,./m.//?_**

Ray: No! **_Y es!@#4_**

Ray _:_ Don’t touch her! **_I w I LL-_**

707: Saeran..?

_[Ray has left the chatroom]_

_[Unknown has entered the chatroom]_

Unknown: Ha…

Unknown: Finally. The fucking bastard wouldn’t let me out.

Unknown: Seven. Looks like you found me.

707: Saeran… Saeran is that you?

Unknown: God, that name pisses me off…

Unknown: I’m on a whole other level from Ray, just so you know. He would’ve shown you mercy… but not me…

Unknown: Luciel… when I find you… the things I’m going to do to you…

Unknown: I

Unknown: Will

Unknown: **_Destroy_**

Unknown: **_Y O U_**

707: Saeran please… I’m coming to find you. We can talk about this. I want to make things right between us.

Unknown: Oh, I can make things right… first… I’m going to bring MC and all of the RFA to paradise.

Unknown: And then… then I’ll bring you… and I’ll have all sorts of fun activities planned for your friends!

Unknown: And you can watch while they suffer yet beg for more…

Unknown: And eventually… once I’ve had enough of hearing you scream…

Unknown: I’ll put an end to your pathetic life.

707: No you won’t, Saeran. I’m gonna save you. Sit tight for me, okay? I’m coming.

_[707 has left the chatroom]_

Unknown: Ha, hahaha… save me…

Unknown: Even now… I am far beyond saving.

_[Unknown has left the chatroom]_

* * *

You could feel a cold sweat trickling down the side of your neck as you read over the chat log from the past hour.

So Seven had finally met him.

You hadn’t expected Ray’s “Unknown” side to take over so quickly. You could only hope that Ray would calm down and regain control of himself quickly. You had a feeling that Ray would be easier to deal with rather than “Unknown”. Although you couldn’t help but wonder why Unknown seemed to consider himself to be a separate person? What could that mean?

Just as you were about to enter a new chatroom, you saw a notification for an incoming call pop up on the screen.

_Unknown._

You swallowed anxiously. He had said he was coming for you.

You hesitantly answered, holding the phone up to your ear. “Hello?”

_“You answered… you’re a brave girl…”_

“Where is Ray?” you demanded.

_“Ray? He’s not home right now, so I’m afraid you’re stuck with me… don’t worry, I won’t bite… not unless you want me too, of course.”_ A sly chuckle. _“Ray never would’ve had the courage to come out and say what he feels towards you… but I do… I’ll tell you whatever you want to hear, princess.”_

“I don’t want to hear anything from you,” you snapped, “I want to hear Ray. I want to know if he’s okay.”

The line went silent for a moment before he spoke again.

_“MC! MC, Are you there, it’s me, Ray! Oh, thank God, I’ve found you again…”_

“Ray! Are you okay? You’re not hurt or anything are you?”

_“You’re worried… worried for me… ha…”_

“Ray…”

_“Oh, MC, I love you! I love you so much! God, you’re so beautiful! I can’t take it… ha… haha…hahahaha!”_ Laughter erupted from the other end.

You felt your heart sink. “It was… you were…”

_“It was only a joke, don’t sound so sad,”_ he said teasingly after his laughter died down. _“Seriously, the shit that he thinks about… God, no wonder you don’t have feelings for him. He’s kind of a creep. Although… perhaps you’d be more interested if you heard what he **really** thought about you…”_

“Shut up.”

_“I’ll tell you in explicit detail when I bring you to Magenta- no, I’ll show you. I wanna have you… yes, I think I will. There’s no reason Ray can’t share, no? I’ll have all kinds of fun with you… I’ll make you desperate for me in a matter of minutes.”_

You bit your lip, ignoring the way your face heated at his words. “Ray… the way you’re talking right now… is scaring me. And I know you don’t mean to scare me. So I’m coming back for you, okay? I’m going to make things right between us. I’m going to save you.”

_“No need… I’ll bring you here, love.”_

“Goodnight, Ray.”

Click.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that as of late I've been paying a lot of attention to Seven and V, but no worries! Soon the focus will be shifted back to Ray. ^^
> 
> Enjoy chapter ten!

“Seven?”

No response.

He was sitting on the steps, headphones on, blaring a song you didn’t recognize. You walked over to where he was sitting and sat down beside him, before slowly reaching up and pulling his headphones off his ears, slipping them down around his neck.

“Hey,” you said simply.

Seven glared at you before reaching up to pull his headphones back on. Your hand shot out and grabbed his before he could, placing it back down onto his lap.

“Come on, talk to me,” you insisted.

“What is there to say?” he snapped. “You heard everything. Saeran… is my brother, and V lied to me. As far as I’m concerned… he doesn’t deserve my help anymore.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do, MC. Saeran was my only family, and V let Rika brainwash him. Now look what happened. My brother is after you and the RFA, all to get to me.”

“I’m sure that V didn’t mean for this to happen. He really was trying to do what he thought was best.”

“Yeah, he always does,” he replied in an almost somber voice. “He always does. But he’s not my father or my brother. He’s not my family. He needs to stop acting like it. I can take care of myself. Damn it, if he had told me… I could’ve rescued Saeran a long time ago.”

There was no way Seven could mean that, not after the way he talked so highly of V in the chatroom. You figured that he was probably just feeling hurt, and he had every reason to. Someone that he had looked up to for years had been lying to him for… well, pretty much ever since he’d known him.

You tried to offer a positive side to the situation in an effort to cheer him up. “In any case, we’re about to see him again. Your brother. Isn’t that a good thing?”

He chuckled dryly. “MC the optimist. Sure, but the Saeran in the chatroom… is no longer the Saeran I knew as a kid. Rescuing Ray… isn’t going to be easy, MC. I won’t ask you not to come, but… I just want you to be prepared. Not even you and I together may be enough to bring him home…”

“It will, I’m sure of it. Ray will eventually want to listen to you. He mentioned wanting to find his brother once. So there’s a part of him that still misses you. I’m sure that with both of us there, we can convince him,” you said confidently. Admittedly, you weren’t so sure of that anymore, especially since that “Unknown” personality had taken over. But even so, you were sure that you could at least get through to him. If Ray’s words about having feelings towards you are true, then he will at least listen to you. You weren’t sure if having both you and Seven there at the same time would be best for him, but at this point, all you were concerned about was getting him out of Mint Eye. The challenging part would be convincing him to leave, especially when he was so dead-set in his belief that Mint Eye was a place of salvation.

Seven fidgeted awkwardly next to you, hesitant to speak. “MC... while you were there, with Saeran… what was he like? Did he seem… happy?”

You fondly recalled Saeran’s warm smile and his kind words, but could you really say that that was the real him, knowing what you know now? “He always seemed happy around me, but there was a sadness to his smile. There was something so melancholy about him.”

Seven gave a slight nod in response. You couldn’t help but notice his grimace and the way his jaw tightened as he sharply drew in a breath. “What did Rika do to him?”

“Seven-“

“Tell me. I need to know. What did Rika do to him?”

“…He takes something called the elixir. I don’t know what kind of drugs are in it, but they seem to be pretty strong.”

He tightly shut his eyes, as if your words were causing him physical pain. “What is he to Rika?”

It was hard for you to get the words out, but no matter how much they hurt, he was right. These were things that he needed to hear. Things that he should’ve heard a long time ago. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say servant. He refers to her as his ‘savior’-“

“This is all my fault,” he interrupted, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “I let V and Rika do this to him… if I hadn’t left that day… then I could’ve saved him…”

“It’s not your fault, Seven. Whatever the story is… I’m sure you did whatever you thought was best for him at the time.”

“It wasn’t though. It was… me being selfish. MC… Saeran and I… we didn’t exactly have a good childhood. Our mother hated us. To her, it was like we only existed so that she could take out her anger on us. We weren’t even children to her. But… thanks to her… I never really got to be a kid, you know? I had to be more than just a kid. More than Saeran’s brother. I had to be his mom, his dad, his _everything,_ to protect him from Mom, to give him a good life. I didn’t get the chance to grow up naturally. Ever since I was old enough to walk and talk, I only ever thought about Saeran. Mom… loved to torture him the most. Because he was weaker than I was. And I find it strange that she said that, because I always thought I was the weak one. For years, while I went on hating our mother, Saeran… he loved her.”

You watched as a wistful expression fell over his face, his eyes softening as the moonlight spilled onto him, defining his features. “The fact that someone he loved so dearly turned out to be so cruel was devastating to him. But even after Mom would scream at him and beat him or starve him… he insisted that she was doing it because she loved him. For years, even after all she did was hate him, all he could do was love her. Every night before bed, he would say “I love you mommy”. And so for years I thought… Saeran would definitely be a better man than me one day, because he could find the strength to love a monster like her.”

Of course. You felt like you had always known, but it was something that you never particularly paid attention to. Saeran loved unconditionally. He was an all in or all out kind of person, he loved with his whole heart or not at all. Of course, this had probably been twisted through years of emotional manipulation and abuse, but even so, that part of him had remained so glaringly obvious.

It was there inside him, the ability to love wholeheartedly, and you loved him for it.

“But… that all changed as we got older. I saw the resentment start to build up in him too. He grew to hate her, and sometimes he scared me with how he talked about her. That was around the time I started to talk about escaping together, and about the time that I met Rika and V.”

“Seven… did you…”

“I left him behind,” he interrupted curtly. “I did. It’s something that’ll haunt me till the day I die, but yes. I left him behind. I left him to face our mother alone. V promised me that they would take care of him, but I never should’ve trusted him. Not with Saeran. Now look at what they’ve done to him.”

“I’m sure that V will explain everything in time. You know… I understand that it was wrong of him to lie, but I don’t think V ever meant to hurt you. I can see it in his eyes when he talks about you, and about Saeran. He really loves the both of you.”

Seven met your eyes for a moment, golden eyes boring into yours with a deep intensity that was almost intimidating. His stare was like fire and you feared that you might melt under his gaze, but you found that you couldn’t look away.

“If he really loved Saeran… if he really loved me… he never would’ve let Rika hurt him. I’m sorry MC… I know that you’re… _into_ V or whatever but I… this isn’t something I can just let go. Saeran is my only family. He’s all I have. He’s my flesh and blood. I can’t... I can’t just…”

You nodded your head once. “I understand. It’ll take time to forgive him. But I promise Seven, V really never had any ill-will towards you or Saeran. I’m sure of it.”

A short snicker slipped past his lips. “MC, do you want to know what got V into this mess in the first place? He’s too damn nice. He doesn’t know how to say no, how to disappoint someone. He wants to try and be the hero for everybody and he doesn’t understand when someone tells him it’s impossible. He pushes himself to the extreme to ensure that others are happy, and rarely worries about himself. Yet, without even realizing it, while trying to make the world happy, he forgets about the people that are right here waiting for him.”

“I don’t think he forgets,” you argued. “I think it’s those people that are here that encourage him to fight like he does. The only thing he tends to forget is himself, and the fact that by trying to be the martyr for everyone, he’s hurting them.”

Seven huffed indignantly. “Hmph. You’ve been here for a week and you already seem to understand V better than me, and I’ve known the guy for basically my whole life. No wonder he’s so into you.”

You blushed furiously at the implication, ducking your head. “O-Oh, h-he’s not really…”

“He’s not? Seems like all he can focus on is you.” He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, turning his head to look in the opposite direction. “Although, I don’t really have any room to talk...” he mumbled softly.

“Hm? What’d you say?” you asked, not having heard what he had said.

He jumped in response, laughing sheepishly as he put a few more inches of space between the two of you. “Hahaha, oh, it’s nothing! Just me being stupid and making dumb comments… ha…”

You narrowed your eyes suspiciously at him, but decided against forcing him to explain. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it and you were in no position to make him do so.

“Hey, can you promise me something?”

The sudden mood whiplash focused you once more. “What is it?”

“Promise me… that if it comes down to it tomorrow… you’ll leave me behind.”

“No,” you answered immediately, shaking your head defiantly.

“MC-“

“No, because that won’t happen. We’re all going to get out together. I won’t let Ray or Rika do anything to you.”

He met your eyes again and the fiery stare from earlier had been replaced with a gentle warmth. You were no stranger to the expressive nature of his eyes, as Ray had always been the same way. His eyes spoke volumes. The phrase “eyes are windows to the soul” seemed to be true for the both of them.

“Yeah, okay. Let’s believe that.”

* * *

Vanderwood paced anxiously around the cabin, biting the nail of his thumb. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you two to go alone. Having her with you is going to be a liability, Luciel.”

“What other choice do we have? MC is dead set on going to rescue him. And… now that I know that Ray is my brother… so am I.”

“I understand why you feel like you have to rescue him, but you don’t need to bring her along. She has nothing to offer you. Leave her here with V. She can look after him.”

“I _do_ have something to offer,” you argued. “I know Ray. I know that side of him better than anyone here. If Ray doesn’t listen to Seven… then we know that he’ll listen to me.”

Vanderwood snorted in disbelief, rolling his eyes. “Please. Don’t try to act like you know anything about this. The only reason you want to go at all is to save your boyfriend.”

“That’s _not_ -“

“Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter,” Seven interjected with a sigh. “MC is coming, end of discussion. I won’t take that away from her. I’ll keep her safe.”

“And what about V? What about the agency?”

“You’ll stay here until we come back. Lay low. If you leave for any reason, take V with you and _be quick.”_

“And what if the agency comes knocking on the door? Or someone from Mint Eye? How the hell do you expect us to escape without a car?”

“I’ve prepared for that,” V suddenly cut in as he emerged from the back bedroom. He was looking much healthier. The color was finally returning to his face and his body seemed to have finally started building his strength back up. “I managed to get a hold of Jumin to ask him for help. He’s sending bodyguards to this location.”

Vanderwood gasped, his mouth falling open. “You _told him_ the location of this secret hideout?! Are you a fucking idiot?! If that information gets out...”

V shook his head. “It won’t. Jumin and his company are sworn to secrecy.”

“Besides, as soon as we make it back here, I plan to take everything from this cabin and get rid of any evidence that any of us were ever here. We'll find a new hideout,” Seven added.

Vanderwood sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. “So you’re on board with this, V?”

“Yes. I… I don’t want to see MC leave… in fact; I wish I could stop her. But… I can’t. I have to let her go.” Your gazes locked and you found yourself trapped, unable to look away from him.

“V…”

“MC… it’s true that I can’t stop you from leaving. I know that. But I’m selfish enough… to ask you one more time to please stay. Stay here where you’ll be safe, and let me go back. You two might be able to rescue Ray, but you won’t be enough to stop Rika. I can. So please…”

Still entranced by his eyes, you folded your arms over your chest as you began to make your way towards him. “I imagine that by “stopping Rika”, you mean sacrificing yourself, right?”

He lowered his head shamefully, the trance finally broken. “That’s…”

You reached out and gently placed your hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at you. “No more of that. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself anymore, V. You’ve done enough.”

“MC-“

In a move that neither of you expected, you reached forward to wrap your arms around him, holding him close. “Thank you for everything.” You smiled softly, looking up at him with watery eyes. “See you around, okay?”

“Yes,” he choked out, his eyes the size of saucers, a light pink blush dusting his cheeks. “Yes, I’ll see you around. Thank you, MC.”

Seven awkwardly cleared his throat, breaking the building tension in the room. “If I don’t come back after three days, then Vanderwood, follow the instructions that I texted you. Make sure the agency never knows what happened to me.”

Vanderwood scoffed. “You want me to put my ass on the line for you? Do you know how much trouble I could get into if the agency finds out that I was covering for you?”

“Look, I know it’s too much to ask, but you’ve already betrayed the agency by helping me with this. So please…”

Vanderwood threw his hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine. If you end up getting killed, I’ll help you out. It’s... the least I could do, I guess.”

“Thank you. And… keep an eye on MC and Saeran, if that happens. I want them both to be safe.” He then turned to face where V was standing on the opposite end of the room. “And V…”

“Luciel, you don’t have to say anything to me. I understand that you’re angry with me-“

“I _am_ angry with you,” he snapped back in response. “I’m absolutely furious with you. But still… I can only hope that after this… you’ll be able to start over.”

“Luciel-“

“Vanderwood, don’t let him leave. He’ll try to, so keep an eye on him. No matter what it takes.”

The agent smirked. “So that means I can use my taser on him?”

“If you must.” His attention fell on you then. “MC, you might want to go get some rest. We’re going to be leaving at around one o’clock this morning. I tracked the location of this Mint Eye place, and it’s going to take about five hours to get there from where we are.”

You nodded. “Okay, but what about you Seven?”

He shrugged. “I’ll take a quick nap later. I have to pack and take care of a few other things.”

You cast quick glances at Seven and V before retreating to the back bedroom to get some sleep. It was going to be a long drive, after all.

* * *

“Luciel…”

“Save it, V.”

V anxiously bit his lip before heaving a frustrated sigh. “We need to talk about this.”

“And we will, just… not right now. I’m a little busy at the moment.”

“Luciel.” V placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping his almost frantic movements. “Relax, and let’s talk about this. You said… you said that you didn’t want me to hide things from you anymore. And I feel that there are things you should know before you go after Saeran.”

A cynical smile spread across his lips as he let out a single dry, humorless laugh. “That’s hilarious, now all the sudden you wanna talk ‘cause you feel bad? Forget it.”

“I never wanted to keep any of this from you. I was just trying to protect you. I see now that the way I was going about things was wrong. I should’ve at least kept you all informed. I thought… that the best way to keep you all safe was to keep you in the dark. Lying to you about Saeran… I wish I could take it back. I think… a part of me was afraid of what you would do once you saw what he had become.”

“This doesn’t make me love him any less. What he is now doesn’t change how I feel about him. Saeran is Saeran. He’s my brother. And I’m gonna save him. Simple as that.”

“No, it’s not. You may have met him in the chatroom, but you haven’t seen him in person yet. Saeran is… he’s been damaged. By years of torment… a-and brainwashing… and…”

“And what?” Seven asked, his voice small and almost fragile.

“Drugs,” V answered, a grave tone to his voice. “Rika’s been drugging him.”

Seven grimaced, swallowing thickly, his expression darkening. “For how long?”

“It started not long after you left home. It was going on behind my back for years. It wasn’t until Rika left when I finally realized. When Rika left me… she took Saeran with her.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Seven asked, the abrupt question catching V off guard. “Why didn’t you tell me that Rika was hurting my brother? I… I really thought…” His voice wavered, his next words choked off by sobs.

“Luciel…”

Before he could protest, Seven was pulled into a tight embrace, V’s arms constricting around him.

“Let go of me,” Seven grumbled halfheartedly, wriggling slightly in his arms.

V didn’t comply, and instead only held him tighter.

“I’m so sorry Luciel. I’m so, _so sorry._ I’m sorry that all I can do is apologize. I only ever wanted to help you, and now look what I’ve done to you…”

“I’m never going to forget this,” Seven muttered lowly, remaining motionless in his arms. “Maybe one day I’ll forgive you, but until the day I die, I will never forget.”

“I won’t ask for your forgiveness. I just want you to know that I truly regret everything. I wish… I wish things could’ve been different.”

Seven sniffled, tears now freely streaming down his cheeks. “So do I.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait! i got distracted by thanksgiving and other holiday stuff ;;
> 
> just a head's up, there will be about 2 more chapters before this fic officially goes on semi-hiatus for the holidays. the last update will be on december 13th, 2017. the fic will be back on a regular updating schedule on january 7th at the latest. 
> 
> also, some other news about updates, i start my first semester of college at the end of january, so please note that updates will be significantly slower! my apologies for any inconvenience. ;;
> 
> okay! now that that's all out of the way, enjoy chapter 11!

“MC.”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me… about Saeran. Tell me what he said to you. Tell me about your experience in that place.”

You fidgeted with the hem of your skirt, hesitating to answer him. “Are you sure you want to know?”

He nodded, his eyes never leaving the road. “Yes. I need as much intel as I can get before I go in here, that way I have an idea of what I’m getting myself into.”

“I didn’t really see much myself,” you admitted. “Ray blindfolded me when I walked through most areas of the building. The only way I know by heart is the way to my room, and the way to the garden.”

“Anything you remember is fine. I have a blueprint map, but any details you can remember will be helpful.”

You closed your eyes, trying to recall your time spent at Mint Eye. As you were starting to notice, the only thing you seemed to pay attention to while you were there was Ray.

“I remember… that my room was on the second floor. Ray’s room was on the third floor, and so was Rika’s.”

“…Describe Ray’s room to me.”

“It was his work room,” you continued. “It had a bunch of computers.”

“What about those computers? Can you remember what was on the monitors at the time?”

“Not really… it was all just lines of code.”

Seven’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Do you… know what kind of drugs were in the elixir that he was taking?”

You shook your head. “No, I’m sorry.”

“…What was Saeran like while he was on the elixir?”

“Happy,” you replied almost instantaneously, “he was happy. A bit skittish, but calm for the most part. He was sweet and gentle.”

“And when he was off it?”

“I’ve never seen him when he’s not taking the elixir…” You drew in a sharp breath as a realization hit you. “Do you think that could be related to his ‘unknown’ persona?”

“It’s possible. I can’t say for sure, but I think that that ‘Ray’ persona that you were with… wasn’t the real Saeran. They regarded each other as separate entities, but… maybe…”

“Maybe what?” you asked.

“Maybe… that ‘Unknown’ persona… is the real Saeran. The true personality,” he suggested, his voice coming out in an almost hushed tone. “Maybe the ‘Ray’ persona isn’t actually a separate person at all… maybe it’s just Saeran while he’s…” He couldn’t finish the sentence, but you didn’t force it out of him. You couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard this was for him.

“The elixir could have a mood-altering drug in it,” you mused. “I’m starting to think that the elixir is just a concoction of a variety of drugs.”

Seven cursed under his breath. You could tell that he was having a hard time keeping himself under control, and you started to worry that perhaps you had said too much. “Where the hell did Rika manage to get her hands on all of that?”

“…The RFA donations,” you murmured. “According to V, it was her only steady source of income at the time.” 

Seven glanced over at you in disbelief, the light from the sun reflecting off of his glasses. “The donations? But they were all supposed to be for charity. You mean she was pocketing all of that to start her freaky cult?”

“Maybe not at first, but it makes sense. How else would she get the money?”

You looked over at Seven from the corner of your eye and saw the way the muscles in his arm tensed as he searched his frazzled brain for the right question to ask, anything to help him piece this together.

“Did Saeran… ever mention me?”

“Yes. He mentioned having a brother. It’s obvious that he held resentment for you, but… I think there’s a part of him that still misses you. He talked about wanting to reunite with someone from his past…”

“Good. So then… I might be able to talk him into coming with me willingly.”

“What will you do if he refuses?” you questioned, slightly fearful of the answer.

“If all else fails and neither you or I can get through to him, then I’m prepared to do what I have to to get him out of there. Even if it means using violence. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect him. So if that means hurting him physically, then I will.”

“Are you… sure that you can?”

He nodded. “I’ve been in physical training with the agency for a while now. I know basic hand-to-hand combat, and although it may not look like it, I do go to the gym.”

You grinned cheekily at him. “I can tell, Mr. Arms.”

You noticed his furious blush that time, _and_ the way he nearly swerved off the road.

“D-Don’t say things like that! Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack…”

You giggled, but decided not to tease him further, figuring that he was already embarrassed enough.

“A-Anyway, the point is, although Saeran learned to hack, he didn’t get the kind of training that I received at the agency. I’m not trying to underestimate him or anything, but…” He trailed off, a comfortable silence that bordered on awkward filling the empty space of the car.

“I should’ve put two and two together a long time ago,” you murmured softly. “Even though Saeran has different features now, the two of you really are identical.”

“Saeran looks different now?”

You nodded. “Yes. His hair is bleached white. His eyes are green. I was able to tell that it was hair dye and contacts since his roots were showing, and your eyes are golden.”

“I know. Cute, aren’t they?” He lifted his glasses and winked at you, eliciting a chuckle from you.

A surprisingly comfortable silence fell between the two of you then. You took the rare opportunity for yourself to think, something that you hadn’t really had a whole lot of time to do lately. You thought about how you found yourself in such a strange situation in the first place. Perhaps if you had been smarter about this, it could’ve been avoided. However, as you looked over at Seven quietly humming to himself, a soft smile on his lips, you realized that maybe there was more good to this than you had first thought. After all, thanks to this, you made friends. Loyal, good friends. Sure, it wasn’t under the best circumstances, but they were friends nonetheless. And you weren’t really in the position to be turning down friends.

Besides, could you really call meeting Ray a bad thing?

“Seven.”

“Hm?”

“Thanks. For everything. For rescuing V, and for coming back with me.”

He shrugged. “’S nothing really. Unlike V, _I’m_ not the kind of guy who leaves family behind.”

You could tell that he was still hurt over what happened with V, but you decided not to question him on it. This was something he would have to get over on his own.

“Still. Thanks. Without you, I never would’ve gotten out of there alive.”

“Yeah, and now I’m taking you _back_ to the place we barely escaped.”

“Are you asking if I’m still up for this? Because the answer’s yes. For Ray… it’ll always be yes.”

You watched as his jaw tensed, his face darkening. “You… seem like you got really attached to him.”

“I did,” you admitted. “I know it sounds… insane, but… Ray was kind to me. Granted, at the time, I wasn’t seeing the situation for what it really was. But… it seems that even now… those feelings haven’t changed.”

“I hope… that this ‘Ray’ persona hasn’t given you a warped vision of Saeran, MC,” he warned sternly. “We have no idea what he’ll be like once he starts recovering. So… if he’s suddenly different… don’t be disappointed in him.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, suspicious of his motives. Just what was he getting at? “Seven, just what are you asking me?”

“I’m asking if you’re in love with a person that doesn’t really exist. I’m asking if you’re in love with some person that Saeran created in his head to cope. Because if you are… then I’m worried that it’s only going to hurt him later.”

“Saeran isn’t… _in love with me,_ ” you told him a bit awkwardly, fumbling with your words. “He admired me, sure, but it was just obsession. He was so lonely, he would’ve accepted anyone that came to Mint Eye. He doesn’t see anything special about me. He only loved me because I was able to soothe his loneliness, but he doesn’t see anything in me beyond that.”

“I didn’t ask about Saeran’s feelings. But still, you don’t sound very sure of yourself,” he noted, “are you sure about that?”

How were you so sure of that? After hearing Ray excitedly tell you about all the new things he learned just by looking at you or listening to you talk, how could you be sure that he didn’t see anything in you?

Perhaps this was all just a defense, to keep from getting hurt.

“I don’t know,” you admitted. “Right now, I’m so confused… I don’t really know what’s what at the moment. I’m just sort of… going through the motions.”

“I know that feeling,” he muttered with a sigh. “Sorry for interrogating you so much, I know it’s not really my business, but… it’s Saeran. So anything involving him, I worry about.”

“It’s okay, I get it,” you told him reassuringly, briefly placing a hand on his shoulder.

“MC.”

“Yes?”

“Promise me, that no matter what happens… you’ll be good to Saeran. You’ll love him right, and you’ll take care of him.”

“Of course,” you replied firmly. “No matter what.”

* * *

_[V has entered the chatroom]_

V: MC… it’s just you.

MC: Yeah… Seven’s still driving.

V: I’m glad though, I kind of wanted to speak to just you…

V: Although I feel that the other RFA members should hear this as well, so I will say this here.

V: I promise you all… the answers are coming soon. I’ll tell you everything… after I finish this for good.

V: I know that many of you have lost your trust in me… but even so, you have my word.

MC: V…

V: MC, thank you. You’ve been so good to me, so good to the RFA. I’m indebted to you.

MC: Stop it, V. You don’t owe me anything. Where’s all this coming from? You should be resting.

V: I’ve done enough resting. It’s time for me to take action, for the RFA. MC, I know you wanted me to stay but I simply can’t. I owe Rika at least that much… she deserves closure.

MC: I think you’ve gone past the point of “closure”. Rika is a danger to you. The last thing either of you need is to be around each other.

V: Rika… will end it with me. She won’t hurt anyone else if she has me.

MC: You don’t know that. Stop assuming that you’re the key to everything! Rika… Rika doesn’t want to stop…

V: How do you know?

MC: I met her, I spent time with her… she told me everything. That she was angry with you for not seeing her vision… that she wanted to change the world.

V: …

MC: Please, no more sacrificing. You mean too much to the RFA, to _me_. For once, think about the people you’re trying so hard to protect!

V: I am thinking of them. I’m thinking of _you_. This is the only way I know how to keep you safe…

MC: V… please, this isn’t the answer. It’s okay to put yourself first sometimes. It’s okay to live for yourself too! After years of giving everything, isn’t it time that you be a little selfish and take something for once?

V: …

_[V has left the chatroom]_

_“MC, I’m sorry. I know that you’ll hate me for this… but I can’t…”_

“And just where do you think _you’re going?_ ”

V suddenly found himself standing eye-to-eye with Vanderwood. He was leaning against the doorway, his arms folded over his broad chest.

“Move aside. I need to go.”

“Cool, where ya goin’? I’ll go with you.”

“No, you won’t.”

Just as V attempted to push past him, Vanderwood’s hand was on his shoulder, pushing him backwards. “I’m sorry, but Seven’s orders were that _you_ didn’t get a choice.”

“I didn’t realize Luciel was the boss around here.”

“He’s not, but he’s right about you. You do have a tendency to do dumb shit when no one’s looking.”

“Then don’t look.”

“No can do, as a secret agent, I’m always looking. Now go back to bed. Don’t make me use this on you.” He gestured to the taser hooked on his belt-loop.

“Vanderwood, you don’t understand the gravity of the situation-“

“I think I understand the situation just fine. Seven’s not the only one that’s been monitoring the chatrooms.”

“You mean you hacked in?!”

“No, I’m not _that_ good, there’s no way I could get past Seven. No, I’ve been monitoring using his other phones. He’s got a bunch of them, all with the RFA app downloaded onto them. So I’ve got a pretty clear grasp of what’s going on here.”

V fell silent before he slowly meandered back over to the bed, silently admitting his defeat.

“And, for what it’s worth, don’t go after her, man. You may still think that you’re the answer to all her problems or something, but trust me, you’re not. Rika is a woman with her own agenda, no matter how much she may or may not love you.”

V smiled softly in response. “Deep down, I’ve always known that. That I’d never be able to stop her. I thought… that that was a good thing. I was wrong.”

Vanderwood shrugged. “Hey, it’s not your fault she turned out to be a complete fucking psychopath. It’s like MC said, there’s nothing wrong with living for yourself too. I’ve lived my whole life that way. I look out for nobody but me, _I’m_ my first priority.”

V grinned mischievously. “And I’m guessing that that’s why you’re so hostile towards Luciel? So you don’t start caring about someone other than yourself?”

“…Shut up.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I promised you guys two more chapters, but I really don't think I'll be able to get another chapter out before the 13th, so I'll be taking my hiatus a little early ;; 
> 
> I know that this is a short chapter, but it felt fitting to end it where I did before I take my hiatus. 
> 
> In other news, I've got some exciting stuff coming for the new year, both for this fandom and for other fandoms! Look forward to that!
> 
> *edit: thank you all so much for the positive feedback! it warms my heart as an author to see you guys enjoying this story so much! this fic is well on it's way to being my most popular work, so thank you for that!

“Hello?”

_“MC… you answered. You finally answered. Have you… been ignoring me?”_

You felt your blood run cold, a chill spreading all over your body. “Rika? How did you… when did you call me?”

_“I’ve been trying to reach you for the past few days… I wanted to know if you were okay… I’m relieved to hear that you’re alright.”_

You had never received any notifications for phone calls from her. “I… had no idea you were calling. What do you want?”

_“I want… I want… I want you to come back to me, MC. I miss you. I really, really miss you…”_

“Stop it,” you interrupted sharply. “You don’t. Rika… listen to me very carefully, because this is the only time I’m going to tell you this. Mint Eye is going to end tonight. I’ll see to that personally. First, I’m going to save the boy you brainwashed. Then, I’m going to tear down Mint Eye, piece by piece if I have to. And lastly… I’ll see to it that you never see V again. You will never hurt him or anyone else ever again.”  

You could hear her breath hitch, the line going quiet as she uncharacteristically struggled to come up with a rebuttal. _“…You’re making a mistake,”_ she finally said, her voice low and quiet. _“V wants to come see me, doesn’t he? You can’t stop him. He will come here. He will always come back for me.”_

“Not this time.”

_Click._

“How did Rika manage to get a hold of you?” Seven asked as you tossed your phone back into your purse. “I thought I blocked her access to the app.”

“It must be Ray,” you replied. “The app has been acting weird ever since we left Mint Eye.”

“Then we need to hurry.” He hurriedly shut his laptop, shoving it into the black bag he had brought, and slung it over his shoulder. “This place is probably crawling with security guards. We’ll take the back entrance and then the staircase at the end of the hall. There’s a couple more hallways before we reach the next staircase, so we’ll have to move fast. And after that, Ray’s room should be on the left.”

“Sure, but should we really just… bust in? What if we get caught?”

Seven grinned cheekily. “Well, I won’t lie to you, the chance of us getting caught is… pretty high. But, think of it this way, we’ll still get to see Ray either way.”

“Oh, so it’s _okay_ if we get caught?!”

“I’d prefer it if we didn’t, so let’s try to not do that. But at this point, we really don’t have any other choice. Guns blazing is the only option. So, you ready?”

You really weren’t, if you were being honest, but you smiled brightly at Seven, nodding shakily.

“We really should’ve planned this out better. But yeah, let’s go.”

* * *

“Mr. Ray.”

“Get out…”

“But this is urgent. We have an intruder situation-“

“I said _get the hell out!”_ Ray grabbed the empty elixir bottle sitting on the desk next to him. The Believer hurriedly scurried out of the room until he was standing in the doorway.

“Mr. Ray, please calm down! It’s the girl… she’s here.”

Ray froze, the bottle slipping out of his palm and falling to the floor, shattering into pieces.

“MC… MC is here?”

“Yes… she appears to be heading this way. She’s with a man.”

“A man..?”

“Yes. He has red hair, and glasses.”

“Saeyoung… he’s brought MC with him…” Cursing under his breath, Ray staggered to his feet. “Keep an eye on the security feed!”

“Ah, Mr. Ray, where are you going?!”

“I need to see her again. And I need to know why that redhead has decided to come here now… _damn it!”_

* * *

“Saeyoung, I… I recognize this… I think we’re close!”

“We are. Now listen to me MC, when we make it to his room, I need you to keep him distracted long enough for me to collect the data I need from his computers. I need to destroy any and all evidence that this place existed, and that starts with Saeran.”

As you reached the top of the staircase, you saw a door that looked rather familiar. You remembered that door, from when Ray had removed your blindfold and guided you into the room for the ceremony.

“There,” you said, pointing to the second door on the left, that’s it-“

“MC!”

Ray almost immediately emerged from his room, meeting your eyes with a fierce intensity burning in his own. He appeared rather disheveled. He was missing his jacket and vest, and the top buttons on his dress shirt were unbuttoned. His usual neat hair was messy and unkempt. The red that was once showing through was gone. He had bleached his hair again, leaving it an eerie, snow-colored white.

“MC,” he panted as he came to a stop in front of you. “You’re here. You’re here! You’re…”

There was so much you wanted to say to him in that moment, but you weren’t quite sure where to start. “Ray… I’m sorry I left. I… never should’ve left you alone in this place. You and I… we should’ve escaped together…”

“It’s okay. I always knew you’d come back MC, I never lost faith in you. Not for a second. You… are not like him.” Ray’s attention immediately shifted to Seven, his eyes darkening as a scowl pulled at his lips. “What the hell are _you_ doing here, Saeyoung? You have no business being here.”

“Funny, that ‘Unknown’ guy I talked to seems to think otherwise, Saeran. Please, listen to me-“

“I _told you… that name **pisses me off** …” _He was practically growling, his bare hands balling into fists at his sides.

“It pisses you off, huh? Quit trying to hide behind this Ray persona… please, Saeran, I know this isn’t you…”

“You _know? You don’t know a damn thing!”_ Ray retorted, stalking towards him. “You don’t know anything… you left me a long time ago… so how can you say that? How can you assume that you know anything about me?!”

“You’re right, I missed a lot. I missed so much, Saeran… I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. Believe me, you have no idea how sorry I am. Words can’t even begin to… I…”

“Why do you keep saying that name?! That name… that name-“

“Is your name,” you interrupted. “It’s your name. It’s _you._ Please don’t run from this anymore.”

He exchanged frantic glances between you and Seven. “What have you done to her?! You’ve lied to her too… I knew it… this whole time, you’ve been manipulating-“

“Saeran, listen to me.” You reached out and took his hand, intertwining your fingers with his. “I need you to look at me, and to hear me. This place… your savior… it’s not good for you. And I think… I think you know that. Rika has been manipulating you. You know that, I know you do. I can see it. That feeling… that small feeling… it’s right. _You’re_ right. So don’t run from it anymore, because it’s the _way out.”_

Ray’s brows furrowed together, his head tilting in confusion. “The… way out? MC, I don’t understand. This… this is my home. I have nowhere else to go.”

“Yes you do, Saeran,” Seven added. “You will always have a place to belong to. There is a place in the world, the outside world, for everyone. And yours… yours is with us. With me, and with MC. By her side, by _my_ side, is where you belong.”

“You stay out of this!” Ray snapped. “This is between MC and I… you have no part of this!”

“Yes he does! Ray please, _please_ let me help you. You’re hurting… you’re hurting so bad and I…”

“MC…”

“I know you say that you’re happy here but… the happiness that you feel here is all a lie. Rika used the elixir to manipulate you… to turn you into an obedient dog!”

A sad, almost melancholic smile spread across his lips. “MC, I already told you… I’m content with that. Serving the savior… is my only purpose. My reason for living… if I cannot work for her, after she’s done so much for me, then I… I don’t deserve to…”

“Stop saying that! I know that you don’t really feel that way… Saeran... you know what the elixir is. You know what it’s doing to you. You know that it’s destroying you, mind and body. You know that the savior doesn’t care about you, she only cares about what you can do for her!”

“Lies!” he snapped. “The Savior was there for me when I had no one… no one… _ugh, **damn it!”**_ He groaned in pain, clutching his head.

“Saeran?!”

“Get away from me, both of you! Both of you… both of you… betrayed me! First you, Saeyoung, leaving me to rot with that woman… and you, MC, the only woman I’ve ever loved… you’re leaving me too.”

You could feel your resolve start to crack, panic settling in. “Ray, no, that’s not true-“

“Don’t touch me!” He batted your hand away, fisting his hands in his hair. “You’re the same… all of you… the whole world is the same! They act like they care, they act so kind and then… then..!”

You placed your hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at you. “Ray! It’s me, it’s alright! No one’s here to hurt you! I know… I know that I’ve hurt you, but I’m trying to help you understand! I’m trying to help you… but you… you have to help me too, because… because I don’t know how to save you!”

His lips parted in shock as he tried to process your words. His jaw moved as if he wanted to say something, but the words never came.

You felt the remains of your self control start to wither away as you came to face the reality of the situation. How were you going to get out of this? How could you get _him_ out of this?

_How could you save someone that didn’t want to be saved?_

“I really… honestly… don’t know how to save you..! I was so sure of myself before… I want you back so badly and yet… I’m here now and I… I can’t even do that. Now… now it feels like… there’s nothing I can say that will be enough!”

“MC…”

“Do you remember… back when you told me about all the things you wanted to do with me? They… they don’t have to be a fantasy. I want… to do all of that with you! I want to do that and so much more…”

“MC…”

“I can make it a reality, Ray. I can get you out of here. You, me, and Seven. We can start over. We can be a family. But you have to see me. You have to really see me, and take my hand.”

Ray looked down at your extended hand and hesitantly reached forward, but then retracted it once more, glancing up at you through his bangs with teary eyes. “Can we really… make a home together? The two of us?”

You nodded fervently.

“MC, I want… I want to come home…” he said, his voice choked by sobs.

“Then come home.”

He reached out, and you felt the very tips of his fingers touching yours, before suddenly, he slumped forward, his eyes slipping closed as he collapsed onto you. Caught off guard by the sudden weight, he took you down with him, the two of you falling to the ground.

“Saeran! MC!”

You slowly crawled out from underneath him, frantically checking to see if he was still breathing.

“He’s unconscious.”

You nodded. “Now’s our chance, we need to take him and get the hell out of here.”

Seven didn’t need to be told twice. He lifted Saeran to his knees before placing his arm around his neck and heaving upwards, staggering to his feet. “I’m going to be a lot slower carrying him.”

You moved to offer your help, but he shook his head. “I’ve got him. But if things get too messy, take him and run.”

With Seven not too far behind you, you cast one last glance at his room before turning around and heading towards the staircase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is where I'll leave you! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! 
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! It's a little earlier than I originally said, but I already had the chapter done so I figured I'd post it! I hope your holidays were fabulous! 
> 
> I can't say for sure, but we're looking at roughly two or three more chapters after this one. I can pretty much guarantee that this fic will be finished before the release of the Ray route, so no worries. ^^
> 
> Enjoy! This one is a little short, but the next few chapters will be much longer to make up for it!

“Hey, Seven, what about that data? You said you wanted to-”

“No time,” Seven interrupted sharply. “Besides, I’ve got that covered. As soon as Saeran safely gets out of here, I’m going to have Jumin’s bodyguards contact the authorities. I already have the coordinates to this place.”

You briefly looked over your shoulder to see Saeran’s unconscious form barely latching onto Seven. You really had no idea how Seven was dragging him along, considering that he was pretty much dead-weight, but you ultimately decided not to question it further as you approached the exit.

“MC… there you are…”

The sudden rush of adrenaline suddenly stopped, your blood abruptly running cold as you and Seven both skidded to a stop. A trickle of sweat beaded down the side of your face as you both slowly turned around to face the owner of that haunting voice.

“Rika,” you whispered.

“You’ve brought Luciel too,” she noted, nodding her head at him to acknowledge his presence. “Good.”

“Rika,” Seven muttered lowly, “I really do wish I could say it was good to see you again.”

Rika sighed in an almost melancholy manner. “Contrary to what you may think of me, Saeyoung, I still care for you. I care for all of the RFA.”

“Liar,” he spat viciously. “You’re nothing but a lying, manipulative…”

“Say what you will, Saeyoung, and hate me if you want. But I hope that someday soon we can put all of this behind us and be a family like we used to be. Wouldn’t you like that?”

“More than anything,” he replied almost instantaneously. “We were family once, you and I. But the Rika I knew isn’t you. So stay the hell away from my brother, and the RFA, or you will regret it.”

Rika pointedly ignored his threat, turning to face the window, staring up at the clouds in the sky. “I was thinking about a lot of things after you left, MC… I thought about you, and V, and Saeran… and I thought… that if I got to see you one more time, I could ask something of you.”

“...What is it?” you asked, your voice weak and shaky.

“I wanted to know… if we could escape together. If we could all run away together and live on our own… far away in some deep corner of the world where we’re safe.”

“Why would you want that?”

“Because… I am tired,” she admitted. “And I no longer know what I really want anymore. But I think… with you, and V, and Saeran by my side… I could figure it out. Perhaps… I could save myself, before I try to save others.” She looked up at Seven. “And that offer is extended to you too, Saeyoung.”

“Go to hell,” Seven snapped, not even bothering to so much as look at her. You saw Rika flinch, her eyes downcast as her body noticeably tensed up.

“Rika… I don’t want to leave you here. So before anything bad happens, I’m giving you the opportunity now. Come with us. Let me help you. You’ve spent your life ‘saving’ people right? So just once, let someone else save you.” You smiled brightly, offering your hand for her to take. “Come on. Leave this miserable place behind.”

“Yes… this place that I’ve built all on my own… has it become so miserable? I could fill this mansion with disciples, but at the end of the day… it would never fill the emptiness inside me.” She grabbed your offered hand in between both of her own. “But you… you would, MC. You complete me in ways I’ve never experienced before. So again, I ask you… come with me. Help me. Please… please help me…” A lone tear slipped from her right eye and trailed down her cheek.

You placed your other hand atop hers. “I want to help you, but I can only do that if you let me. You have to do this the _right_ way. Running away from the world isn’t the answer. Help is right in front of you. All you have to do is say yes.”

Emerald orbs wet with tears met your eyes and you found yourself frozen as she contemplated her next move. You waited anxiously with hushed, small breaths and sweaty palms. Even so, you kept your confident and reassuring smile.

Her face then suddenly contorted into a dark, twisted scowl. “You want to fix me, right? You think I am this broken mess that needs therapy and medicine and doctors?! They can’t fix what isn’t broken… MC, I am not broken, I’m… I’m…”

“Rika,” you murmured gently, “if you want to stay here, then that’s your choice. I have no right to stop you. But Saeran? Saeyoung? They deserve a chance to live normal lives. And you don’t have a right to stand in the way of that. So if you love them… then let them go.”

Rika fervently shook her head. “No… no, I can’t! I won’t! I won’t let you! I won’t let you take Saeran like you took V!”

You quickly tore your hands out of her grasp, slowly backing away from her. “Rika-”

“No, no, no! It’s happening again… it’s happening all over again! You’re leaving me, everyone is leaving me! First my own parents… then V… and now Saeran, and MC… Why? Why does everyone leave?”

“MC,” Seven placed his hand on your shoulder. “The exit’s right over there. We have to go, now.”

His voice seemed to break you out of a trance. You didn’t turn to look at him, your eyes still locked onto the hysterical woman before you. “But…”

“You’ve done all you can do for her. You offered her help multiple times, and she refused. It’ll be up to the authorities to decide what to do with her. Now come on, we need to _move.”_

“But I-”

“ _Now,_ MC!”

Rationally, you knew he was right. But as you watched Rika, sobbing hysterically on the floor, you couldn’t help but wonder if maybe you had done something wrong. If you had done something differently, could she have been saved?

Nodding, you hurried after Seven, scrambling out the door and to Seven’s car.

* * *

 “How’s he holding up?” Seven asked from the driver’s seat, meeting your eyes in the rearview mirror.

“He seems to be doing okay,” you replied. Saeran was resting comfortably in your lap. You gently ran your fingers through his hair. “Shouldn’t we get him to the hospital?”

He nodded. “Yeah, but first, we need to head back to the hideout to pick up Vanderwood and V. Jumin’s bodyguards should be there by now. There’s a few things I need to talk to them about regarding Saeran.”

“Saeran? What about him?”

“MC, if word of Mint Eye’s existence gets out to the public… it could be dangerous for both of us. Saeran could get arrested and our true iden…” he trailed off, abruptly falling silent.

“Your true what?”

He shook his head. “Nevermind. But needless to say, it’d be bad. If the authorities do bust this place, they have to be sworn to secrecy. That’s why I’m talking to Jumin about this. I know he won’t agree with me asking him to hide things from the government, but he knows why this can’t go public better than anyone.”

You couldn’t help but think that there was still so much you didn’t know. About Saeran, Seven (or _Saeyoung,_ as Rika had called him), and the RFA. There were probably secrets that both Seven and V would take to their graves.

_Just what the hell kind of organization did I get myself into?_

“Saeyoung,” you murmured, and you didn’t miss the way he perked up upon hearing his true name. “That’s your real name, huh?”

“Yeah,” he answered with an almost shy expression. “South Korea’s sweetheart, Saeyoung Choi, at your service m’lady.”

You chuckled. “I like it. It suits you.”

You could see him smiling in the rearview mirror, but he didn’t respond. You returned your attention to where Saeran lay comfortably in your lap. He looked so calm, so relaxed, that it made you fear for when he would wake up. How would he react? What would he say?

Seven’s words from earlier rang clear as a bell in your head. _“We have no idea what he’ll be like once he starts recovering. So… if he’s suddenly different… don’t be disappointed in him.”_

You’d be lying if you were to say that the thought didn’t bother you. Aside from what you had seen, you knew next to nothing about him. If he did end up being different like Seven had suggested, would it change anything?

You had a feeling that a _lot_ was about to change.

“Thank you, MC,” Seven said, bringing you out of your thoughts. “Thank you for helping me rescue my brother. I think I owe you for like, the rest of my life.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” you replied. “I helped you save Saeran because I wanted to.”

“Still. You willingly put yourself in danger to save him, and you didn’t even have to think about it. Are you sure you’re not a superhero?”

“Why do you ask? Wanna be my sidekick?” you teased. “I wouldn’t mind fighting crime with the Defender of Justice.”

His laugh wasn’t forced or awkward like it usually was when he was around you. He was genuinely laughing. You couldn’t help but notice how similar his laugh was to Saeran’s. “Call me whenever you’re in the mood to beat up some bad guys.”

* * *

“Who’s he talking to?” you asked.

“The CEO’s bodyguards,” Vanderwood replied, gesturing halfheartedly to where Seven was talking to the suit-clad men. “It’s just legal stuff regarding that Mint Eye place.”

“What’s going to happen to Saeran? Do you know?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but I’m sure Seven’s taking measures to ensure that any and all evidence regarding Saeran gets erased.” He cracked an eye open, looking at where Saeran was laying on the bed. “So that’s ‘Ray’, huh?”

“Yeah,” you said. “That’s Ray. He’s the hacker.”

Vanderwood crossed his arms over his chest. “Man, Seven wasn’t fucking kidding when he said Saeran was his twin brother. They’re identical.”

“Even with the hair?”

“Sweetheart, in my line of work, you learn how to study and read faces. You get good at seeing through disguises after a while. You mean to tell me that all that time you didn’t notice?”

You shook your head. “No. Ray was just… so different from Seven, that the thought never even crossed my mind.”

“Personalities can make people appear different physically,” he explained. “The way Saeran carries himself as Ray is so different from Seven, so it’s no wonder you didn’t make the connection.”

Astonished, you stared up at him with widened eyes. “...Wow, Vanderwood… that was… a really good observation.”

He scoffed, ignoring your praise. “Duh. I’m a secret agent for a reason.”

“Is that really the kind of stuff you’re trained to do?”

“That and tons more. Being an agent, it’s not easy stuff.”

“Is it like how they describe it in the movies?”

“Kinda.” He then shot you an icy, suspicious glare. “Hey, why are you asking so many questions anyway? Thinking about joining? Cause if you are, then don’t. Being an agent sucks like, 95% of the time.”

“W-What?! No, trust me, I’m not. I was just curious for the most part. But Seven mentioned something before about Ray being part of the agency-”

“No can do now,” Vanderwood interrupted. “Family members aren’t allowed to be in the same agency. In fact… agents aren’t allowed to have any outside connections. No family members, friends, or lovers.”

You couldn’t help but wonder why Seven would willingly choose a life like that. It seemed oddly lonely to you, and why anyone would live this way was beyond you. “Why did you decide to be an agent, Vanderwood?”

He awkwardly coughed, his cheeks warming slightly. “...That’s… that’s um… classified.” He cleared his throat, refusing to meet your eyes. “Why do you want to know anyway?”

You shrugged. “Curious.”

“That ‘curiosity’ is gonna get you killed one day.”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“For now. Jeez, you wouldn’t survive a day as an agent.”

“I dunno, Seven said I’d make a good superhero.”

“Agents are hardly superheroes. God, what are you, five?”

He feigned a disposition of annoyance, but you could easily spot the hint of a smirk on his lips.

_He’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s nowhere near as bad as he likes to make people think._


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE ARE APPROACHING THE END! This is the second to last chapter!! The final chapter will be the epilogue.
> 
> This has been a wild ride from start to finish. Thank you all for sticking with this story for so long! 
> 
> Enjoy!

After the cabin was cleared out, Saeran had immediately been admitted to a hospital. Unfortunately, since you weren’t a close relative you weren’t permitted to see him. But since Saeyoung was, he made sure to keep you and the rest of the RFA updated on his progress.

It was rough at first. Saeyoung told you that he screamed and threw things, and said certain things intending to hurt his feelings. Despite your concern, Saeyoung had merely said that it was all part of the recovery process. Even so, you could tell that whatever Saeran had said was getting to him. You wished you could console him, but there was only so much you could do. They had a relationship that you couldn’t even begin to understand, and recovery was something that they would have to do together.

However, Saeran eventually stopped. He stopped making threats, stopped throwing things. He wasn’t exactly ‘calm’, but he had stopped responding to everything in such a violent manner. And the doctors had finally agreed that visits could be opened to the public, since he wouldn’t be a danger to them.

And today, after weeks of not seeing him, you were finally going to get to visit him.

Truth be told, you were a bit nervous. You hadn’t seen Saeran in weeks, and you had no idea what to expect. Based off of what Saeyoung had told you, he had made exceptional progress. But if you were being honest, you weren’t sure if it was okay to see him yet. You feared that if he met you too soon, you would halt his recovery process. That was the last thing you wanted.

You stood outside the door with Saeyoung at your side, drawing in deep breaths to calm yourself.

“Be careful,” he warned. “The doctors said that he shouldn’t be a threat anymore, but he’s still unpredictable. If he attacks you-“

“He won’t,” you replied smoothly. “He won’t. He would never hurt me.” You looked over at him, eyeing him curiously. “Are you coming with me?”

He shook his head. “Nah. You two should… probably talk. I’ll uh… be out here if you need me.”

You nodded and breathed in one more time before you gently pushed the door open.

You nearly froze when you spotted him lying comfortably in the hospital bed. He was sitting up, his head leaning against the window. He looked terribly pale, with dark circles lining his usual bright eyes. And speaking of his eyes, they were no longer the mint color that you had gotten used to. They were now a molten gold color, identical to Saeyoung’s. The white hair was almost completely gone, replaced by his natural vibrant red color.

His eyes finally flickered over to where you stood in the doorway. He abruptly shot up, the blanket slipping off of his form. “MC! I-“

“It’s alright, relax,” you murmured soothingly, slowly creeping towards his bed. “It’s just me.”

His tensed muscles loosened as he relaxed. “MC… I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I know. I missed you too.”

He changed his position so that he was sitting cross-legged on the bed. “Are you alright? The Sa- _Rika_ didn’t hurt you, did she? What about V?”

You shook your head. “No, of course not. I’m okay.”

“I see… and what happened to them? Rika and V?”

You raised a brow in confusion. “Saeyoung didn’t tell you?”

He shook his head.

“V was admitted to the hospital with you. He got out a while ago. He’s… currently on a trip. And Rika... at the party, she tried to spike the wine. She was arrested.”

“A-Arrested?”

“Don’t worry; she’s going to a rehab center to be treated first. Saeyoung and Jumin took care of the legalities, so no one knows about Mint Eye. You’re safe.”

“It’s not… _me_ I’m worried about,” he protested weakly. “It’s you,” he said. “How… how can you be here? After what I did to you? How can you even think about coming to see me?”

You smiled softly. “Water under the bridge. I’m okay, really. A little shaken up, but I’ll be fine.”

He was looking down at the sheets now, idly tracing patterns on the blanket. “I… I almost _drugged_ you, I almost… I almost subjected you to the same suffering I felt while I was in that place… and yet-“

“Hey,” you reached out and took the hand that was moving along the blanket, holding it tightly. “Can I sit?”

He hesitantly nodded, scooting to the other side of the bed to make room. You seated yourself beside him, mimicking his cross-legged position. His hand was still locked firmly within your own.

“You’re out of that place now. You can start over, have a new life. And… this may be a bit selfish of me, but… I want to be a part of that life,” you shyly admitted, blushing profusely.

“Why?” he asked, his voice hoarse. “Why? Now that I don’t have Mint Eye, I have nothing. I have nothing to offer you. There’s no reason for you to stay anymore-“

“Of course there is!” you argued. “I’m staying for _you._ I’m staying because I want to be by your side while you recover.”

“I… I don’t understand… why did you choose me? Every single time you have chosen me, and I don’t get it… I don’t get why you would choose to stay with someone so… so… so _messed up._ God, MC, I’m… I’m _not right._ I have no right to be by your side… not now.”

“I get it; it’ll take time for you to accept me again. But I mean it when I say that I want to stay with you. I know that right now it may sound like an empty promise, but… I want to be in your life. I want… to be a person that you rely on, that you… you…” you trailed off, unsure of how to word it.

A brief, tiny smile flashed across his face. “You have no idea how much you mean to me, do you?”

The blush from earlier returned full force. “I…”

“For all that time, while I was doubting myself, I was doubting you too. But… every time Saeyoung said your name I remembered you and all of our memories together. And I mean it when I say that you were the only good thing that ever came out of that place. The only good memory I can take from Mint Eye was having you by my side for that short time.” Saeran placed his free hand atop your joined ones. “You were the only thing that gave my miserable life any meaning. Every time I thought of how desperately I wanted to leave this world, I remembered your face. And I remembered that you would cry for me. I’d never… _never_ want to cause you pain.”

The hand that sat atop yours suddenly slid up your arm, your shoulder, and your neck before it eventually rested on your cheek. “Thank you for wanting to stay by my side. But I can’t let you. The thought of hurting you… the thought of getting hurt again… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I ever hurt you in some way. So... please go. I know that this will hurt you, but it’s better than tying you down next to me, forcing you to suffer along with me.”

Your heart was plummeting into your stomach, dread filling your senses. “No, Saeran, that’s not true. Please don’t think that way, you know I-“

“I won’t ask you to wait for me; you’ve already done enough of that. But I am selfish enough to ask that you think of me sometimes.”

“Saeran-“

 _“Please,”_ he begged, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’m already so ashamed, having the person I love most in the world seeing me lying in a hospital bed.”

You should have known to expect this. Why did it hurt so much? You should’ve been ready. Perhaps you came on too strong. Perhaps you scared him away. “Okay,” you whispered, releasing his hand. “I’ll come back later. But just know that I’m not giving up on you. I won’t give up until you learn to love yourself again.”

“You would be better off-“

“I’m not just staying with you because of… how I feel towards you. I’m staying because it’s right. Because any person with even a smidge of decency would do the same. Because family… friends… they never turn their backs on each other. And I will never turn my back on you, no matter how much you may ask me to. You… were the only person in my life… that’s ever looked at me so kindly. You’re the only person that’s ever been so gentle with me. The only person… that looked at me and saw something worth holding onto. So I can’t… I can’t give up on you… I just can’t…”

Stunned into silence, Saeran merely stared at you, eyes wide, cheeks red, unsure of what to do or say.

Embarrassed, you jumped off the bed and rose to your feet. “I’ll come back next week. Until then… please try to be kind to Saeyoung. I know that you guys have some things you need to talk about, but he really does care for you. Give him a chance.”

He didn’t answer you. In fact, he could only look on as you hurriedly left the room, watching you go with a melancholy expression on his tear-stained face.

* * *

You had taken to browsing the internet when you got home in order to take your mind off of the events of today. Hell, you really needed a day to relax, to just forget about everything. But that day couldn’t be today. You couldn’t rest, not until Saeran was better.

As you were scrolling through your emails, a notification popped up for an incoming video call. Confused, you clicked on it, and you were pleasantly surprised to see V’s face pop up on the screen.

“V!” you exclaimed, grinning widely. “Oh my God, I haven’t seen you in forever! Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

He chuckled. “Hello MC, sorry I haven’t been keeping in touch. I’m doing much better now. My eyes have almost fully recovered from the surgery. In fact… I can see you pretty clearly. How about you? Are you doing okay?”

You nodded. “Yup! I’m okay… um… where are you, if you don’t mind me asking? What have you been doing all this time?”

“Sightseeing, mostly,” he admitted. “I’m in America right now. I’m sorry that I’ve been so distant… I really miss you.”

“I miss you too. And it’s fine, don’t sweat it. You’re busy. And you should be enjoying yourself! Don’t worry too much about us.” You knew that it was pointless to tell V not to worry. That man always had something on his mind.

“I have been enjoying myself. I’ve been enjoying myself… more than I have in a long time. I’ve also been doing some painting too. Once they’re completed, I’ll show them to you.”

“Really?! Your photographs are stunning, so I can only imagine what your paintings must be like!”

He blushed, averting your gaze as he shyly laughed. “Thank you. Jumin always used to encourage me to try painting or music when we were little. Back then, I never put much thought into it, but ever since meeting you, I’ve rediscovered my passion for it. So for that… I’d like to sincerely thank you. You’ve made me a better man.”

You smiled softly. “You’re welcome, but it wasn’t me. You did that all on your own, V.”

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear. “Ah… please, call me Jihyun now. V is a name from a life I used to know. From now on… I just want to be Jihyun Kim. No more secrets.”

“Alright then, Jihyun Kim it is. I like it. It works for you. In fact, I think I might like it better than V.”

“‘V’ represents a life that I’m no longer living, so I want you to remember me always as Jihyun. Oh… yes, I wanted to ask… how is Saeyoung doing? Is he… okay? And Saeran?”

If you were being honest, you wouldn’t really describe him as ‘okay’. He tried to keep up his usual playful attitude, but you could always see right through it. He was anxious for Saeran and for their future together.

“They’re both okay. Saeran will be released from the hospital soon, since all the drugs are almost completely out of his system. Saeyoung is… well, he’s worried. And even that’s an understatement.”

“I see… I still… can’t get it out of my mind. The way he looked when he found out about Saeran. I want to be able to apologize to him face-to-face soon. So… I’m coming home within the next couple of weeks.”

“You… you are?”

He nodded. “Yes. While I was out discovering myself, I realized that I still had so many loose ends back home. But I don’t regret going on this journey. It’s… really been eye-opening for me. In fact… if I hadn’t done this, I never would’ve realized how badly I needed to set things right. With you, the twins, and the entire RFA, really. I’ll be returning shortly, and I hope that, eventually, Saeyoung and I can move past this.”

“He’ll forgive you,” you said in an attempt to reassure him. “Saeyoung isn’t the type to hold grudges. He’s kind. And if he really loves you, which he does, then he’ll forgive you, no doubt about it.”

“I can only hope. I hope for the same thing with Saeran. He has every right to be angry with me for what I’ve done. I won’t ask to be friends with him, but I can only hope that he’ll one day find it within him to forgive me.” He then turned around to look at the clock on the hotel wall. “It’s getting late over here. I should go.”

You nodded. “Sure thing. Get plenty of rest, and if you need anything, don’t be afraid to call one of us.”

Another small, barely concealed snicker. “MC, what would I do without you?”

You playfully shrugged. “Hm… I wonder…”

“Oh, and before I go, could you pass a message along to Jumin for me?”

“Sure thing, what is it?”

“Tell him that… I miss him, and that… I think soon, I’ll be ready to come home again.”

* * *

The nurse desperately attempted to keep her composure, raising her hand as if to try and stop him. “Mr. Choi-“

“Absolutely not,” Saeyoung cut her off. “You hear me? No way is he going on drugs again.”

“But he-“

“He _just got off_ them, and now you want to put him on some more! Can’t you give him some more time?”

“We’d like to, but he hasn’t made enough progress, and he’s been here too long-“

 _“Too long?!_ So what, now you wanna move my brother to the crazy house, is that it?!”

“Mr. Choi, please understand, this is what’s best for Saeran. He hasn’t shown any signs of addiction to the medication we’ve given him up to this point. If it looks like he is developing another addiction, then we will transport him to the local rehab center-“

 _“No._ No, you’re gonna give him some more time for all the drugs to leave his system before you start pumping him full of ‘em again. You hear me?!”

“So you refuse to sign the release forms, then?”

“Yes. I do. Take your release forms and shove ‘em. I’m not letting you screw with my brother anymore.”

“Mr. Choi, please!”

* * *

When Saeran came to, he didn’t awaken in his hospital bed, in the room that he had grown so accustomed to. He was in a messy living room covered in blankets and lying on the couch. He abruptly sat up as his anxiety began to kick in, fearing that he had been kidnapped.

“Saeran! You’re awake!” A familiar voice called out to him. He whipped around to see Saeyoung emrge from the kitchen, holding a glass of water. “How are you feeling?” He was careful not to sit too close, just in case he was still anxious.

Saeran’s eyes followed his hand as he set the glass of water onto the coffee table. “Why… why am I here..?”

“Forget about that. It’s okay. You’re safe-“

“Tell me why I’m here, damn it!” he snapped, refusing to so much as look at his brother.

“…They were going to move you to the psych ward. Start putting you on more drugs. I… refused to sign the forms,” Saeyoung quietly explained.

“So you _kidnapped me?!_ ”

“Wha- no! I took you home! This is my house! Look, I’ll take you back to the doctor later, just… for now… I wanted to talk to you here. Away from all the doctors.”

“And why should I-“

“Saeran.” Saeyoung inched closer to him. “Look, I… I don’t even know where to start, honestly. Words can’t even begin to describe how… how _sorry_ I am. I-”

Saeran rolled his eyes, abruptly standing up. “I don’t want your fucking apology-“

Saeyoung’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. “Please listen! If not for me, then for MC! She would want you to hear this. She told you, didn’t she?”

“Don’t drag her into this!” he snapped, yanking his wrist out of his brother’s grasp.

“Please. For her. Hear me out. And if… if you still decide, after you’ve heard everything that you _don’t_ want to stay… I won’t force you. I’m begging you…”

He found himself looking into his eyes, those eyes that were so similar to his own. The eyes that he hated so much. The eyes he’d wanted to rip out of his skull because every time he looked in the mirror, he saw his brother. But when he stared into them, he found that he didn’t feel that same fury bubbling up inside him. Instead… he felt an overwhelming wave of sadness. He didn’t want to see Saeyoung look at him like that. It reminded him of the same sad eyes from their childhood.

Begrudgingly, he sat down again, averting Saeyoung’s gaze. He couldn’t believe that he was even _doing_ this.

“Look, I… when I left… I had no idea that Rika and V would do that to you. I thought… I thought they were gonna take care of you. They promised me they would. But… I realize now that…. that’s no excuse. I never should’ve left you in the first place. Not with that… _monster_ of a mother. Not with Rika.”

Saeran was still silent, which Saeyoung took as his cue to continue.

“I wasn’t there to protect you. And that will eat at me until the day I die. But you have to believe me when I say that I will _never_ put _anything_ before you again. _Never_ again. Growing up, you were my whole world. And I know… that maybe we can never go back to the way we were when we were kids but… I believe that we can move past this. You and me. Together, like we used to do everything, remember?”

Saeran was still quiet, but Saeyoung could tell that he was listening, even though he wasn’t looking at him. His eyes caught the light of the room, and he could see the way they shined with tears.

“I never should’ve stopped looking for you. I left you alone to suffer at home, and at Mint Eye, and for that, I’m _sorry._ I’m so, _so_ _sorry_. I’ll carry that regret with me to my grave. But I want… I want to move towards a new, _better_ life. With you by my side.”

“How do you expect me to just let go of this?!” he abruptly choked out, holding back a sob. “I can never live a normal life ever again because of this… don’t you get it? You and I… we’ve already lost so much time…”

“But we have so much more ahead of us! God, Saeran, you and me? We’ve got our _whole lives_ in front of us. The future is right here. All you have to do is reach out.”

“But… I…”

“No one ever said this was going to be easy. But I swear, I’m going to be with you every step of the way. I’m going to help you get through this. So please… stay with me. You don’t have to be on your own anymore.”

There was still a part of him screaming at him to say no, to turn back now before it was too late. But before he realized what he was doing, he was crying freely, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve, nodding ever so slowly.

“Yeah. Okay.”

It wasn't over, not by a long shot. But it was a start.

_Just this once… I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt._


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'VE REACHED THE END!!!! Thank you all so so so much for the support! This has officially become my most popular work on AO3!!! Really, you guys have no idea how much I loved writing this story! 
> 
> Your kind words and kudos are what pushed me through this story, so thank you all again! 
> 
> As for any potential sequels, I currently don't have any planned, but I will let you all know if that changes! 
> 
> Again, thank you all for your support. I am glad that you have all enjoyed this little fic so much and I am blown away at how successful it's become. 
> 
> As for the future, definitely look forward to more Mystic Messenger fics, as well as some fics for other fandoms!
> 
> And now, enjoy the final chapter!

**_Epilogue_ **

**_One Month Later_ **

* * *

 

As the time for the annual RFA party drew nearer and nearer, you found yourself getting busier and busier. Now that you had officially taken over as coordinator, your list of responsibilities had nearly doubled. Not only were you in charge of the guests, but you also had a hand in the organization of the event himself. Jumin and Jaehee had insisted that they could handle all of that themselves, but you told them that you genuinely wanted to offer your help.

You liked to take care of the guest list early, that way people knew well in advance so they could plan accordingly. So nowadays that was mostly what you kept yourself busy with, that and a few other jobs here and there.

Today, however, you were quite relieved. You were going to take a break from your responsibilities to have a day of relaxation. Jaehee had invited you and the rest of the RFA over to her brand new coffee shop, so you were looking forward to spending some down time with friends.

You hadn’t seen any of them (besides Saeyoung) in person since the party, so you were rather excited to see all of them again after so long.

There were so many questions. You wanted to ask Zen how his latest musical was going. You wanted to ask Yoosung if he was doing well in his classes. You wanted to ask Jumin how his new cat project was coming along. You wanted to ask Jaehee how business was going at her café. You wanted to ask Saeyoung how-

No. Perhaps you didn’t need to ask about Saeran anymore. Maybe he would come along?

You hadn’t seen him in about three weeks. True to your word, you did come to visit him a second time, but it went over about just as well as the first time, so you decided you’d give him a break and let him work things out with his brother. You figured that if he wanted to see you again, he’d come to you himself. You had told him time and time again not to be afraid of you. You could only hope that he had taken your words to heart.

Oh, well. If he was there, hopefully it wouldn’t be awkward.

As you were getting ready, you glanced over at your clock and cursed out-loud. You were late!

You scurried around your apartment, searching for your phone and your purse, when all the sudden, a knock at the door stopped you.

You looked over at your reflection in the bathroom mirror, making sure you were decent, before you ran over to the door and hesitantly pulled it open.

Saeran looked… different, for lack of a better word. The white in his hair was completely gone, now overtaken by his natural scarlet color. His colored contacts were now gone, revealing the amber of his eyes. He had gotten rid of his usual formalwear and was now dressed in a red long-sleeved shirt and a pair of grey jeans.

“MC…” he began awkwardly, “hi. Um… is it… okay if we talk?”

Still flabbergasted, you nodded dumbly and side-stepped, allowing him entry. His eyes roamed around your apartment as he shuffled into the living room.

“You have a nice place,” he commented idly.

“Thanks,” you replied. “U-Um… do you want anything? Tea, coffee..?”

He politely declined, still observing your apartment with vapid curiosity.

“Well… go ahead and make yourself at home.”

Once you were both settled in, you tried to wrap your head around the situation. Saeran… was here. And he wanted to talk. You were, admittedly, a bit nervous. It could be about anything.

“Um… look, I don’t really know how else to say it so I’m just gonna get right to the point. I… thought a lot about you. I mean, I always think about you, but for the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about us. Our future.”

“Saeran-“ you started, prepared to explain that you understood if he wasn’t interested in you, but he held up a hand, abruptly silencing you.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice somber and soft. “I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’m sorry for… everything I did at Mint Eye. I’m sorry for… getting you into this mess in the first place. I still don’t feel like I deserve forgiveness, but you should know that everything I did, I…”

“It’s okay.” You reached out and took his hand. “I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago. Mint Eye is behind you now, remember?”

“I still have nightmares,” he confessed. “I don’t think they’ll ever go away completely. But with you around… I think things may be easier. When I’m with you… the world looks bright.”

You met his eyes, and he seemed to be having a hard time maintaining eye contact. But he was holding onto your hand so tightly. He needed you to hear this.

“MC… I know that I’m… hardly deserving of you… but I still want you in my life. And the way I want you… is different from what it was in the past. I want you in my life in every way. I want you… as my friend, my _best_ friend, my… my soul-mate. And while it’s true that I want you by my side, I also… um… this is embarrassing, but I… I want to take you out on dates, and hold your hand, and, uh… _God_ , I don’t know where I’m going with this-“

“It’s okay,” you interrupted, smiling broadly. “I think I do.”

He grinned slightly at that, his cheeks burning with a bright blush.

“But… I’m… not exactly… I worry about that stuff too. Because… I constantly have nightmares, and I’m always nervous, and I don’t want you to find me crying in a corner somewhere-“

“Saeran.”

Hot, burning golden irises bore into you as he met your eyes.

“We don’t… have to rush into anything you know. We’ll move at your pace, don’t worry about me-“

“But I want you to be happy, MC. And I worry… about whether someone like me can really do that for you. I worry about whether or not I can… be a good partner to you. I want to support you just as much as you’ve supported me. I want to be able to live in a home with you, to give you a family one day. But I… I don’t…”

You gently pulled your hand out of his grasp and instead placed it on his cheek, tracing the skin with the pads of your fingers. “Hey. Relax. I’m happy when I’m with you. Even if it’s just the littlest thing… I’m happy as long as I’m by your side. I know that you’re still healing. And I’m willing to accept that. So… we’ll work up to it. Step by step, little by little.”

His hand came up to rest against the one that was on his cheek. “You’re willing to wait for me again?”

You nodded. “As long as it takes.”

Then, you saw him smile in a way he never had before. It was a bright, wide, almost childish grin. The sunlight that was spilling in from the windows illuminated his soft features. His smile seemed to glisten as the tears fell freely now, spilling over where your hands lay atop his cheek.

He then grabbed the hand you had on his cheek and pressed his lips against your fingertips. “One day, I’ll get the courage to say it to you properly,” he promised.

“Can’t wait,” you said teasingly.

And as you two sat there, bawling together like a couple of newborn babies in your apartment, you couldn’t help but remember the day that he had first offered you his hand.

_Saeran… you’ve finally found your home._


End file.
